Princess of Thieves
by Valentine'sNinja
Summary: AU. She robs from the rich and gives to the poor, but she never counted on falling for one of her many victims. Maybe victim wasn’t the right word to use on a man like Vincent Valentine. VincentYuffie, and ZackTifa. Complete!
1. Pick Pocket

I bring you all another AU, which I promise to actually keep up with, since my inspiration is running high with this one, now that my ZackTifa fic is a chapter away from being complete. Just a few things to point out. Yuffie is nineteen, Tifa is twenty, and they're cousins. Cloud is a friend, Vincent is a business man, don't know if he has long or short hair yet, but I'll decide by next chapter, and he's twenty-seven. There will be appearances from many characters, though not many will hold a very important role.

I've been trying to phrase this in a way that will not insult anyone or make me look like a snob, but I'd like to point out that my AU's whether in this genre or any other, are filled with drama and soap-opera-ish things. I like my stories that way and many of the readers do too. I don't mind receiving criticism when it comes to grammar and description or anything of the like. What I do mind is being insulted or having people call my writing and stories names. I'm here writing for fun and though I want to get better at it, I'm not here polishing my skills to truly publish something. I respect the people who are and wish them only the best, but this is a hobby of mine. It makes me happy to write, no matter how dramatic or improbable. If you don't like overly dramatic stories, please turn back, this story isn't for you. If you flame me, personally insult me or my story, the comment will be deleted if possible. But if you _don't_ mind any of these things, I hope you enjoy and have a good time while reading this story.

Also, there _will _be adult situations, but in later chapters, all the warnings now are for language. I do hope everyone enjoys!

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of the characters used in this piece of fiction. I am making no money off of them.

……………………………………

**Princess of Thieves**

……………………………

**Pick Pocket**

……………………………………

At the altitude they were presently holding, she wondered if she should yell out a heads-up to the people way down below just in case her rope gave out and she fell to her death. Heights and flying weren't her forte, but she endured them to do the job, which she had to admit was more dangerous than usual. It was a good thing that she was bit of an adrenaline junkie, otherwise a job like the one she had before her would seem impossible.

"We have a go, White Rabbit. Security is down and you have a total of five minutes to get in there and back out before the security resets and the alarms go off," a woman's voice sounded in her ear piece.

"Here I go then," said the White Rabbit. Then, without a second thought, she jumped from the silent helicopter in a head-dive, the only thing holding her from certain death was a piece of the strongest rope they had been able to get their hands on. Just as she neared the roof, her gloved hand reached up and abruptly stopped her descent. She let out a soft breath and stood upright, unclasping herself from the rope and running up towards the skylight. Removing a small device from her belt, she used it to cut through the thick glass in a matter of minutes, pulling the slab back and onto the ground by her feet.

"This is the lamest security system I've ever seen. The only upside to it is that regardless of my hacks, it resets within five minutes," her friend's voice said in her ear once more.

"We'll need to find something to test your true skills, won't we, Black Rabbit?" asked the one referred to as White Rabbit.

"Will you both stop yakking and get this over with? I have a date and I don't want to be late again," said a male's voice.

"Hmm, whipped much?" asked Black Rabbit.

"Shut up," he grumbled as the White Rabbit crawled through the hole in the glass and slid the rest of the way down another piece of rope effortlessly.

"This looks more like a museum than an actual penthouse," she muttered as she took in the expensive works of art on the walls and various other pieces and statues on pedestals.

"Get what we need and let's go. You've only got three-and-a-half minutes to go," said Black Rabbit.

"Fine, fine," she murmured, running off towards the office, where her prize was awaiting her. "Hello, baby. Come to mama," she said, eyes lighting on a rare painting from Midgar's Renaissance period. It was valued in the black market for more than fifty million gil, and she would be the one to get it. Honestly, if she were the owner of the various pieces of art, she'd have guard dogs, motion sensors on the floor, triggers at every window and door, and various other little trip wires. The White Rabbit sighed and took a look at the painting, using a small computer to scan it for any trips.

Black Rabbit hummed into her ear piece. "It looks clean, but make sure not to remove the frame just in case. The trip may be embedded into the wall and not visible for me to detect. Though it seems unlikely with the security this guy has now."

White Rabbit nodded to herself and took out a small, thin blade that cut through the glass once more and then made it easy work to extract the soft canvas from underneath. She rolled the prize and placed it inside a protective tube before running out of the office. As she was setting the tube safely at her back, she missed the pedestal as she rounded the corner, and before she could stop it, the whole thing—including the statue of some old guy—went toppling to the ground, shattering into various little pieces.

"What the hell was that?"

"Shit. I dropped something. Black Rabbit?"

"Trip has been triggered," she said in annoyance. "And the police has been alerted. Get out. Now. There's no point in me shutting down the system," she said quickly. "Ace will have the chopper get as close as he can, but you'll have to climb quick. Security is already on their way up, and though the security system sucks, the elevator is apparently of a quicker capacity."

White Rabbit wondered if her stomach was what she could hear growling, but she frowned and remembered that she had nearly inhaled a power bar just before the heist. She couldn't eat anything heavier for fear of losing her stomach in the chopper. She turned to look behind her and found herself face to face with a giant, black dog. It looked more like a horse than a dog, judging by the size of the thing. She sighed to herself and realized that she had always preferred cats to dogs, even ferrets were better. Why? Because cats and ferrets didn't have mouths big enough to rip off a big chunk off her ass if she tried to run.

"Think I can outrun a dog the size of a pony?" she asked Black Rabbit.

"Is this a rhetorical question?" asked her friend.

"_No_. There's a dog in front of me and it's probably imagining me as a big piece of T-bone steak. Get the chopper ready, I'll be up in a minute," she said before she took off at a quick run, the dog right behind her. White Rabbit gagged, she could almost smell the dog's foul breath. She looked up and saw that the rope was only a few feet away. She'd have to jump to get safely away from the dog. She prayed to any deity that was on her side and leapt, just as the dog's jaws almost closed around her ankle. She climbed at a quick pace, thankful for her training and for the strength in her arms. As she reached the ceiling, she jerked on the rope but the stupid mutt was holding tight, snout clamped on the rope.

"How much longer?" she asked Black Rabbit.

"Security should be entering the penthouse now," said Black Rabbit. "Get the rope and let's go," she said impatiently.

White Rabbit tugged with all her strength and realized that the stupid dog was clinging onto the rope and she had already lifted him a few feet off the floor. She jerked on the rope with all her strength until the weight let go and she fell back, right on her ass. She gathered the rope and ran towards the edge of the roof, where her two companions were waiting in the chopper.

"Pick up the pace," said Ace. "I'm getting readings that there are police choppers on the way. We may be silent, but we're not invisible."

The White Rabbit stood at the edge of the roof and jumped the small distance into the helicopter, Black Rabbit catching her hand and shutting the door as Ace pulled away from the building and sped away. "Success?" asked Black Rabbit.

"Absolute success. Contact the buyers and auction it off. Highest bidder before midnight wins," White Rabbit replied. She pulled off her face mask to reveal short dark locks and bright brown eyes. "Let's see how long it takes before this leaks out to the media."

………

"Anything?"

The long haired brunette shook her head and double checked a few things on her laptop. "Nothing. Every heist to this day has been kept under wraps. I guess no one wants it to be known that their security was beaten so easily. Yuffie, the money for last night's auction was placed in the untraceable account we asked for and the money is being withdrawn and delivered as we speak."

Yuffie smiled in satisfaction and took a bite out of her cream-cheese and toast. "Where's Cloud?"

The other girl shrugged, her long hair falling over her shoulder. "Probably with his girlfriend. He left right after the heist and hasn't come back."

"And you feel nothing when he leaves to be with his girlfriend, Tifa?" asked Yuffie with raised eyebrows.

Tifa shrugged and sipped at her coffee. "He obviously doesn't see that I feel something for him, so let him be ignorant. I'll find myself a guy who _will _notice that I'm a girl and that I'm interested," she muttered.

Yuffie sighed and answered her ringing cell phone. "Yeah?"

"Yuffie."

"Morning, dad. What do you want?" she asked in annoyance.

"Late night, brat?" asked her father, old Godo.

"Maybe."

"I need you and Tifa to be ready in thirty minutes. I want you both to accompany me to a business meeting. Your skills in detecting traps and Tifa's smarts with numbers point you as my best advisors at this particular meeting. We are to meet with Midgar's best and richest business men."

"Should we go for innocent assistants, or did you have something in mind?" she asked.

"Just wear what normal business women would wear. Don't call attention to yourselves. Just sit and observe," Godo replied.

"Affirmative," Yuffie replied. "Where is the meeting?"

"Reeve Tuesti's office. The car will be waiting for you in thirty," Godo said before hanging up.

Yuffie turned to Tifa. "We have a meeting to attend with Godo. He wants us there to observe and he doesn't want us to interfere. I guess it calls for high heels."

Tifa sighed and nodded. "We have thirty minutes only? It'll be a record if we accomplish that," she said before walking off to her room.

Yuffie shrugged to herself and walked to her own room. She was currently living in the top floor of her father's building. She had asked him to have it turned into a penthouse, and Godo usually gave her all that she wanted, which _usually_prompted arguments about her being a spoiled brat, even at nineteen. It wasn't her fault that he was such a doormat for her. But even though she had her own apartment where she lived with her cousin Tifa, and an old friend from boarding school, who had run away from his own home, Godo expected for her to spend a few days in his exaggeratedly fancy mansion. She didn't mind, since her pop was old, but it was a tad annoying to keep up with two rooms and two homes.

She pulled out a short black skirt, a black sweater shirt and a pair of her favorite long boots, which happened to have a high heel. She would rather wear no heel, but this was business and she had learned that men tended to get distracted with heels that high. After taking a record-breaking shower, Yuffie dressed and had Tifa help her with her hair and make-up, since her cousin was far better at it than she was. Tifa herself was in a proper business suit, but she added to her look a pair of frames that had a built-in camera in case something caught their fancy.

"You look like a real business woman," Yuffie said with a smirk, grabbing her mini computer and a portfolio where she would be able to doodle and pretend to be taking notes.

"That's the point," Tifa commented. "We should get going, we're only… five minutes late."

Yuffie smirked and grabbed her cell phone and keys before she and Tifa made their way towards the elevator. Once outside of her father's twenty floor building, they came upon the dark SUV that would drive them to the meeting. "Business men are hot," Yuffie commented, bringing up an image of Reeve Tuesti on her mini-computer.

Tifa looked at the picture and nodded. "I wonder who else will be there. Check out his known associates."

Yuffie did so and perused the images. "Rufus Shinra; hot blond guy, Hojo; creepy old guy, Scarlet; big-breasted blonde. Angeal Hewley; broad-shouldered hot guy. Genesis Rhapsodos; sexy red-head with a killer smile. And finally, Vincent Valentine; hot guy with creepy red eyes."

Tifa smirked at her cousin's descriptions and wondered if every single person would be there. Her uncle wasn't exactly a greedy man, but he was always striving to be better and better. He had made a name for himself as an importer and exporter of various things. To this day, he was the man who had most of their ports under control and nothing escaped his attention. There were others, more powerful than he in Midgar, but they usually sought out Godo if they needed help exporting something. Tifa didn't doubt that her uncle had dealt with illegal imports and exports at some point or another in his long business career.

Once they arrived at Tuesti's office, Godo opened the door to their car impatiently and ushered them up the steps and into the elevator. "We're minutes away from being late. What took you so long?" he asked.

"Yuffie," said Tifa.

"Tifa," Yuffie muttered at the same time.

"Never mind that. No matter what is said in the meeting, I need you both to keep your cool and to not say a word. Some of these men like to make sexist comments and the last thing I need is for one of you to physically assault anyone," said Godo right before the doors opened on the top floor.

"You shouldn't have asked us to come then," Yuffie muttered as they followed behind him. Godo just glared at her briefly before they entered the meeting room and took a seat to his left.

Yuffie scanned the room, taking in the various faces she had seen on her computer, plus a few others that hadn't been. "Should've done background checks," she whispered to Tifa.

"No time," her cousin replied. Both women looked up when Rufus Shinra entered the room as if a red carpet had been rolled out. Three men were at his back, and a woman followed, all dressed in black suits. "Geez, presumptuous much?"

Yuffie let out a small snort and they kept watching as Vincent Valentine and Reeve Tuesti followed, their own assistants at their side. Her eyes took in Valentine as he walked. He didn't have the conceited air that Shinra did, but he held himself straight, and the look in his eyes commanded attention, even unwillingly. As he took a seat, their eyes met for an instant before he looked to the man next to him and he whispered something.

Reeve took a seat at the head of the table and smiled. "Welcome, everyone. I thank you all for being here. Let us proceed with the meeting. We will begin with the discussion of the new company opening in Junon, followed by the impact it will have in us here in Midgar."

Tifa also examined the people seated at the table, taking various notes regarding the numbers Reeve was spewing out rapidly. She doubted many knew what he was really talking about, but she caught on with ease. Her eyes then caught sight of the man next to… had Yuffie said Valentine? Well, the man to his left seemed to be paying close attention to the numbers as well, though he looked vaguely disinterested. She wondered if she had found a person to rival her smarts. He looked up at her, his hand never stopping the writing, and Tifa was startled as blue eyes met hers. He flashed her a wink and she just smirked vaguely before going back to her notes.

By the time the meeting was over, Yuffie was bored out of her mind. She really didn't have Tifa's smarts when it came to numbers, but she did have other smarts which included digging up information on people who had gone out of their way to hide their pasts, planting viruses, and she had hands that were quick when concerning a heist. Tifa did too, but she preferred to stick to her computers. Yuffie watched the other people at the table, taking in their expressions and eyes. So far, none looked suspicious or gave her a sense of foreboding. Well, no one except Valentine, who was too cool for comfort. She and Tifa followed Godo into Reeve's office and Yuffie's eyes lit as they settled on the painting sitting behind his desk.

Yuffie gave Tifa a sidelong glance and her cousin gave her a barely perceptible nod before reaching up to touch her frames. The images were sent to Yuffie's computer in seconds. Godo shook hands with Reeve and motioned towards them. "You think the painting is authentic?" Tifa asked in a whisper.

"A man like Reeve wouldn't purchase a bogus work of art. We'll discuss this at home. Places like these have eyes and ears everywhere, so watch you back," she whispered.

"My daughter Yuffie, and my niece Tifa," said Godo.

Reeve turned to them and Yuffie fought a childish blush as he gave them an appreciative glance. "Godo has told me so many things about the both of you."

"Hopefully it's all been good things he's said," Tifa said with a smile, shaking his hand.

Reeve nodded and grinned. "It's nice to meet you, Yuffie and Tifa," he said, shaking their hands. "Yuffie, you're the ninja, right?"

Yuffie nodded and produced some ninja stars that sang right past Reeve's ear and hit the wall right next to his painting. "Yeah," she replied, ignoring the funny red color covering her father's face.

Reeve stared at the weapons embedded in the wall and tugged them out of the wall before handing them back to Yuffie. He cleared his throat. "I'll take that as a 'yes you're deadly as well.' You must have your hands full, Godo."

Yuffie watched her old man nod and crack a joke at her expense. "You have no idea just what the both of them put me through."

"I hear you are a whiz with numbers and technology," Reeve said, turning to Tifa.

Tifa nodded and grinned. "I haven't found a system that I haven't been able to hack!"

"Tifa!" Godo scolded, mortified that she had said that out loud. Why were his two girls so intent on ruining his business partnerships?

Reeve just chuckled. "Then I should invite you over one day to see if you can hack into my system. I've been working on something that not even my best men can get through. But you're uncle says that your skills really aren't rivaled by anyone."

Tifa nodded. "I'll gladly help any way I can. What kind of system do you have now?" she asked casually, going for innocent.

Yuffie smirked to herself; she had no doubt that Tifa would dig for as much information as she could, and Reeve would willingly give it to her. Who could say no to that sweet look on Tifa's face? "I'm taking a walk," she said to her father after watching Tifa flutter her eyelashes one too many times.

"Take Tifa and wait for me at the car. I will be done briefly," Godo replied.

Yuffie nodded and both walked out. "Take the east side of the floor. I'll take the west. Frame anything that may be helpful. Did he give you any useful information?"

"Yeah. We're dealing with a program that he has designed himself. All the trips are unique and he has a firewall of his own design that no one has hacked to this day," she replied.

"Gather all you can and we'll discuss it at home," Yuffie murmured. Tifa nodded and went her way.

Yuffie took a look around, recognizing the hidden cameras in the ceiling, the possible motion sensor at every door, and the more than likely trips at every door. As she rounded a corner, inspecting the windows, which were sealed shut—so escaping through windows was out—she stopped at the sound of a deep voice. He was talking to the man he had arrived at the meeting with, and they sounded serious. She stopped and waited, watching as the man with blue eyes left and Valentine turned, catching sight of her.

Yuffie squared her shoulders and moved towards him, intent on passing him by and not paying him any attention. But as usual, her body didn't do as her brain instructed. She purposely bumped into him and picked the pocket inside of his suit jacket, drawing out his wallet. "Excuse me," she said in a low voice, noting how his nose wrinkled a little as she moved away.

"Excused," he murmured before walking away.

Yuffie smirked and tucked the wallet into a hidden pocket on her skirt before going her way too. That would teach him to look at her so coldly and to wrinkle his nose as if in disgust. No one, but no one treated Yuffie Kisaragi as if she were inferior. She was one of the best thieves ever seen in the last fifty years, and even though no one knew it, she would hold her title proudly. Now, she needed to find Tifa to figure out if her cousin had noticed the same things as she.

……………

Yuffie couldn't begin to describe how much she hated any type of party where she wasn't allowed to drink herself senseless, but the one she and Tifa were currently attending was an exception. They were at a fundraiser for the homeless people who lived in the Midgar slums. The money would serve to build affordable homes for them, and to take various people off of the streets. The money from her last robbery had been donated to this exact organization, and that was why the both of them found themselves there with Godo, and even Cloud.

The only thing that irritated Yuffie to no end, was that that Valentine character was seated a few tables away, and the organizers of the event had told her that he had donated a good sum of money as well. The only thing that mattered to Yuffie, though no one would ever know, was that he couldn't out-donate her, Tifa, and Cloud. Besides, she also had her petty victory sitting at home. The wallet had held a few hundred gil bills, his check book, and a few messages written in a messy script. She had donated the money in the wallet just for kicks.

"I can barely breathe in this thing," she whispered to Tifa.

Tifa took a look at the pink corset and let out a small giggle, earning a glare from Godo. "You were the one who wanted to wear something that would have the media talking. The dress is great, though torture is a price to pay for good style."

Yuffie tried not to laugh, which consisted in her using her much needed breath and took a sip of her water. The top of her dress was a corset, which tied with various ribbons at her back, while the skirt flared around her and reached bellow her knees. She usually wasn't a pink wearing type of girl, but she did like the dress very much. Even if the stiletto's were already killing her poor feet. Ninja's were not meant to use high heels. And yes, she was a ninja. She came from a long line of warriors with special skills—which had obviously skipped her father—and she wore her title proudly. Being a ninja made being a thief so much easier.

After the various speeches and thank-you's from the organizers of the event and the coordinators of the organization that would help the homeless—the anonymous donation of millions was especially mentioned—the fancy dinner was served and then the guests were invited to dance and enjoy their time at the party.

"Why didn't you bring Aerith?" Tifa asked Cloud.

He shrugged one shoulder, blond spikes covering his mysterious blue eyes. "I didn't think she would feel at home in this place."

Yuffie gave Tifa a look and then slid her gaze to the dance floor. Tifa just lowered her eyes as if to say no, but they were both distracted as a shadow fell upon them from behind. Yuffie looked up and refrained from rolling her eyes as she looked at Vincent Valentine's tall form.

"Good evening Godo, Miss Kisaragi, Miss Lockhart, and I don't believe I have met your friend."

"Strife. Cloud Strife," Cloud said with a nod.

"Valentine! I was wondering if you would be here," Godo said, shaking his hand.

Yuffie watched in suspicion as Vincent took her hand in his and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, doing the same to Tifa. The ninja's eyes met her cousin's and they hid smirks. "Godo, would you mind if I borrow your daughter for a moment?"

"What for?" Yuffie asked, a little rudely.

"For a dance," said Vincent.

"I can't dance," Yuffie replied, ignoring Godo's glare. She could care less if she was ruining some type of partnership with Valentine. She was a modern girl, and it irked her when men tried to ignore her and automatically assume that her father made her decisions for her.

"I will teach you then," he said, tone steely as he offered her his hand. Yuffie just sighed and took his hand, allowing him to guide her towards the dance floor.

Tifa watched in mild interest as Valentine whisked her cousin away and watched Cloud as he looked at her while he thought she wasn't looking. Before she could crack a joke about his suit, which he looked very good in, a throat cleared from behind them and she turned. She smiled as her eyes lighted on the man who had been at Valentine's side at the meeting.

"Would you join me in this dance?" he asked.

Tifa nodded and took his hand. "I'd love to," she replied, standing and slowly walking with him. "I'm Tifa, by the way."

"Zack Fair. It's a pleasure to meet you. I didn't get a chance to speak to you at the meeting of the bosses," he said, settling his hand on her waist and guiding her slowly.

"Well, it's a good thing you asked me to dance then," she said, a bit of pink coloring her cheeks. Wow, he was hot. And tall. "You work with Mr. Valentine, then?"

Zack nodded. "I'm his business consultant as well as his assistant and partner in business," he replied.

"You're a multi-tasker then."

"Yeah, though it gets a bit tiring. Vincent is a very demanding man, but he's a good friend," Zack replied, taking in the sweet, powdery perfume on her skin. "He seems to have shown some type of interest on your friend."

"Yuffie's my cousin. But, I see what you mean," Tifa replied as they both watched Yuffie and Vincent together on the dance floor. The long-haired brunette didn't miss the petulant look on her cousin's face. "He'll find that she's not easy to handle."

Zack smirked. "Vince has always shown interest on the most stubborn ones. He'll know how to handle her."

'_I seriously doubt that,' _Tifa thought with a smirk, but remained silent and enjoyed her little victory over Cloud. He was watching them from his seat, his eyes trained fast on them, even as Godo chatted aimlessly about the party and whatever else her old uncle could think of.

"I don't enjoy being badgered into doing something I don't want to," Yuffie said snidely, settling her hands over Vincent's pristine suit—she recognized the expensive Wutain silk because her father wore it religiously—and glared up at the man.

Vincent took a hold of her hand and waist and guided her on the dance floor. He was quite shocked that she wasn't submissive, or the type to melt just by his looks. He was used to women doing that while he was around. Her brown eyes were hard and a little cold. He had heard Godo go on and on about his daughter and niece, but he had pictured some type of little brat who whined and did as her father bid her. This was not the case. Also, he hadn't thought that Yuffie Kisaragi was such an accomplished thief. "I expect to have my wallet back by the end of the week."

Yuffie nearly faltered in her step, but she kept moving. She had been lying about not knowing how to dance, since her mother had made her take dancing lessons when she had been a child and a pre-teen. That had been a while ago, and her mother was no longer with them. "I don't know what you're talking about," Yuffie replied aloofly.

Vincent managed a smirk. "I noticed once you disappeared. You are very accomplished at being a pick-pocket. Did your father train you to do that as well, ninja?" he asked. Yuffie stopped moving all together and glared at him. "I know everything there is to now about potential partners. Don't look so surprised," he whispered.

Yuffie was only momentarily distracted when she saw Tifa dancing with Valentine's friend. "Who is he?" she asked Vincent.

Vincent looked towards his friend and smirked. "He is Zack Fair. He works with me and is my business advisor. He's a good man who also happens to be a friend."

"Yeah, I'll take that from a man who investigates his partners and their families," she replied. "As for your question, no, my father did not train me. But he did leave me to my own devices as I grew up. He was always too busy with his business to realize that his precious daughter was learning tricks frowned upon by society," she said with a shrug.

Vincent took her in as they moved slowly. Though she was nearly a foot smaller than him, her larger than life attitude made up for the height she lacked. She truly was a skilled thief, since he hadn't detected her from the very moment she had reached into his coat and stolen from him. He had seen women far more beautiful than she, but there was just something intriguing about her. "You enjoy stealing from others?"

Yuffie narrowed her eyes and stopped, moving away from him. "I appreciate the dance, Mr. Valentine, but if you'll excuse me, I have other things to do," she said before walking away and leaving him standing there on the dance floor.

Vincent merely sighed in annoyance and walked off towards the bar to get a glass of red wine. He sipped in silence, ignoring the looks he was receiving from the various women present. It had been a long time since a woman had blown him off that way, and he wasn't used to it. He smirked faintly when Zack approached him, a grin on his face. "Having a good time?" he asked.

Zack nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "She's an eyeful and I get the feeling that she likes me too. Did I see you dancing with Kisaragi's girl?"

Vincent nodded. "There's something about her that sets off some alarms," he murmured, taking another sip of wine. "A person like Godo would have tried to hide her little indiscretions deeply. I want you to run a deeper background check on the girl. I get the feeling that she's been up to no good and it's always useful to have blackmailing material. Besides, the day of the meeting, I had the feeling that she was scanning the halls for something of importance. I haven't figured out what, but we must be careful with her."

Zack ordered a whisky on the rocks and leaned against the counter to watch Tifa and Yuffie as they walked out of the hall with the blond man that had accompanied them. "Do you really think she'd have a criminal record?"

"That is what I want you to find out. She's just too accomplished as a thief, she had to learn some way, and she must've left traces. I expect a report on my desk by Monday," Vincent said seriously.

Zack sighed. "You're no fun," he muttered.

"I know," Vincent replied dryly. "But we need to be a step ahead of her in case anything comes up."

………

Godo sighed as he watched Yuffie walk away from Vincent Valentine. The man was one of the most important men in Midgar, and the insolent child had the gal to treat him as if he were a piece of gum under her shoe? Well, she had another thing coming to her. He stopped Yuffie as she walked towards her cousin and her friend. Tifa had been his sister's daughter. Both Tifa's parents had died, leaving her to live with Godo and Yuffie's mother. Then Yuffie's mother had died as well, and both girls had been left to him to raise. It had been hard, and he knew that he had been lacking in the nurturing department, but he had tried to give them all he could. He hadn't been a very good father for the both of them, but despite it, the both of them had made him proud. Yuffie and Tifa both had completed their studies a year earlier than expected. They were both beyond smart; he even had a feeling that they were outsmarting him in some way, but it was his duty to protect them from any of their mistakes. They were _his_ daughters, therefore they would inherit all that he had and he would need their help to make sure that they would receive as much as possible. He would die a happy man if he could make sure that they would be lacking nothing once he was gone.

"What was that about?" Godo asked Yuffie darkly.

"What do you mean?" she asked dryly.

"Do you have exactly any idea of who that man is? He's one of the richest and powerful of the city. You do not want to make him angry, Yuffie. I want him as a partner to our company and you acting this way is not helping," he whispered darkly.

Yuffie rolled her eyes and glared at him. "He was being a jerk with me first," she said petulantly. "You know that I don't answer well when men try to command me or control me. I don't care who he is dad. Are you even sure he's trust worthy?"

Godo nodded quickly. "Do _not_mess this up, Yuffie. I want you to be nice to him, whether you want to or not. I want you to do_ anything_ to make him happy if necessary. Do not mess this up for me, daughter."

Yuffie couldn't believe what her father was saying to her. If they hadn't been at such a public place, she would've cursed the old man out for even suggesting such a thing! Tifa and Cloud walked over to her and she just shook her head and motioned for them to walk with her. Once she was sure that there were no cameras or any people around, Yuffie stopped and turned to her friends. "I need a background check on Valentine, he just clued me in on the fact that he has investigated my father and me. I don't know how deep his check has gone, but he'll surely be able to uncover my record soon enough."

Tifa smirked and tapped her chin in thought. "Is it just me, or is he showing interest in you?"

Yuffie shrugged. "I may have picked his pocket the day of the meeting," she said with a grin.

"And he realized that it was you," Cloud said flatly.

"I denied it, and he has no proof that I did it. He's a man that we need to watch out for. He doesn't strike me as the type who lets go of anything. We have to be careful," Yuffie murmured.

Cloud nodded. "How far back do you want this check to be?"

"Teenage years wouldn't hurt," Tifa put in, and Yuffie nodded in agreement.

"I don't want my father walking into any business lightly. Sometimes old Godo is too trusting for his own good, and that's why he has us there for him. This Valentine strikes me as a man without many principles. The old man even had the nerve to suggest I do _anything _to make this Valentine character happy, for the sake of his business," she said with a small growl, her eyes drifting back into the building and towards the bar. "I won't take this shit from my pops, or from Valentine."

Red eyes met brown and Yuffie could read the challenge in his crimson stare. Well, he'd find out just how dangerous she could really be if he provoked her. She hadn't earned the title princess of thieves in the thievery community for nothing.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Well, the beginning was a little vague, but things should pick up in the next chapter. We'll have more interaction between Yuffie and Vincent, and more stealing on Yuffie's part. I just hope that I didn't butcher the whole robbery scene. I've been watching Ocean's Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen. I do love those movies and they provide tidbits to use in this fic. If anyone has other robbery or technology pointers to give, I will gladly take them!

So how was the start? Was it satisfactory? Should I continue? And I'm still deciding on who I will pair Tifa with. Your vote would help too, so Zack or Cloud? Also, this won't be a fluffy romance type, it'll have its drama, and I'll try not to lay it on too thick, though Vince and Yuffie will have a type of love/hate relationship going on. Also, I have much more inspiration here than I did for _"Reflection." _I'm kinda stuck with that fic, but I promise to try and figure it out soon. I've already started on the next chapter of this fic, though I may take a little while to update, since I'm completing the last chapter of my fic _"Turn The Page." _After that, updates should come a little bit faster. Still, thanks for taking the time to read and if you comment, thank you as well. Also, I do apologize if there are errors—which I'm sure will be there when I re-read once more. I hope to update soon!

Joey


	2. Materia Thief

……………………………………

**Materia Thief**

……………………………………

"Success!"

Yuffie looked up from her computer and glanced at Tifa, who was doing a little jumping dance in front of her lap-top. "What?

"I broke down Reeve's firewall. Wait til' I tell him that he needs to find a better program. He told me to try hacking it from a distance and I did it."

"You're not using one of our computers, are you?" Cloud asked as he walked out of his room, his own computer in his hands. "Yuffs, I'm sending you Valentine's file now."

Tifa shook her head in answer. "I just bought this one yesterday, strictly for use with Reeve," she replied.

"Hey, was it me, or did I hear you talking on the phone with this Zack person?" Yuffie asked, noting how Cloud's shoulders stiffened only slightly at the news.

Tifa grinned and nodded. "He's taking me out on Friday. He's a real sweetheart and I think I really like him," she said, taking a seat next to Yuffie so that they could look through the file together.

"You've only spoken to this guy once—twice now—how do you know he isn't some type of psycho?" Cloud asked, typing away on his computer.

She shrugged. "How did I know _you_ weren't some type of psycho when I met you? You were this dork who sat alone in the back of the classroom," she countered. Yuffie just tried to refrain from laughing as the other two bickered about the guy showing interest in Tifa. She just wondered how long it would take Cloud to realize that he felt something for her cousin.

Yuffie scanned over the information on her screen and hummed. This Vincent Valentine was a real character. He was twenty-seven, he managed a multi-million gil company on his own, with no partners, he was single, and he had never been married. During his teenage years, he had been adopted by a man named Hojo, who was a scientist for Shinra, and from then Vincent had worked and taken odd jobs as a messenger boy. Years later, he had started his own business as a textile manufacturer and had grown into one of the richest men in the country, though he couldn't rival Shinra just yet. He didn't have any suspicious activities in his file and that made _her_ suspicious of him.

"No one is that clean," Tifa murmured from next to her, reading quickly through the file as well. "Not with the empire he has constructed for himself."

Yuffie nodded. "Either we're both too cynical to see the good in people, or there's another file that is hidden somewhere where Valentine's true past is."

Cloud typed into his lap-top. "There are no top secret files or anything. He must've paid a good amount of gil to have his past erased this well. What do you want to do?"

Yuffie sighed and thought for a moment. "For now we do nothing. Unless I feel him turn into a threat, we will leave things as they are. If push does come to shove, we'll have to find a way to hack into his office computers."

Tifa smirked. "Boy, did this guy rub you the wrong way," she said in amusement.

"I don't want him rubbing me in _any _way," Yuffie said, eyes narrowed. "Now, about Reeve. Is he monitoring this break in his firewall?"

Tifa checked her computer and nodded. "Yeah. I don't stand a chance at copying any of his files through this hack, and after this, he'll fix any of the weaknesses in his system. This Reeve guy is a genius, I seriously doubt we'll be able to take the painting once people have left and the building is shut down."

"Maybe we'll have to do it during daylight times," Cloud offered.

"I'll slap on a mini-skirt, flirt my way through and we'll have it. All we have to do is make sure that Reeve isn't in his office and that we can somehow override his security cameras," Tifa said, standing and pacing. "I also don't think that it will be too easy. He'll have the painting well taken care of, so I'll need to have my computer with me."

"You think you can pull it off?" Cloud asked.

"Tifa in a mini-skirt can pull off anything," Yuffie said with a smirk. "Speaking of which, what are you gonna wear to your date with Zack?"

Cloud sighed in annoyance and walked off to his room. The last thing he needed was to hear his two friends launch into talking about clothes and shoes. Add to that the fact that something was bugging him about Tifa going out with this perfect stranger she knew nothing about. Maybe it was time to do an investigation of his own, he thought with an evil smirk.

…………

"Contact Godo and request a meeting with him at his office. I want us to discuss the potential benefits he will have if he decides to make our companies one instead of just partnering up."

Zack nodded and made a few notes into his notebook. "Can I ask what you have in mind? This isn't really about the company, is it? Could it be that you're looking for an excuse to see his daughter?" he asked, one eyebrow raised curiously.

Vincent looked up from his papers and smirked faintly. "She's too young for me to feel attracted to her," he replied calmly. Though some part of him realized that it was mostly a lie. Yuffie Kisaragi was a very pretty, young woman, but he was nearly ten years her senior. He was on the look out for someone a little more mature. No, his curiosity for the Kisaragi girl stemmed from the ease in which she had stolen from him, and how different she turned out to be from the spoiled brat he had imagined. Her lack of fear for him had also drawn his attention.

Zack merely shrugged and stood from his seat. "I'm going out with her friend, want me to ask a few questions?"

Vincent smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Robbing the cradle?" he asked.

"No. Tifa is twenty, and I'm twenty-three, there aren't many years between us. Now… you and Yuffie are almost ten years apart. _I _would call _that_ robbing the cradle," Zack said coolly.

"Ask questions, but don't be too obvious. We don't want them to be suspicious," Vincent said.

Zack nodded and stood. "Remember that you have a meeting with Rufus Shinra after lunch."

Vincent nodded and something occurred to him. "Where is Yuffie Kisaragi's background check?"

The dark haired man sighed. "I've been doing various sweeps for her information, but nothing more glaring comes up. If you're right and she has a record, Godo went out of his way to get it erased. It's none existent," he said before he walked off towards his office.

Vincent watched him go and just sighed inwardly. He grabbed his newspaper, which was opened on the society pages and looked at the image he had been a bit surprised to see in the morning over his coffee. It was a picture of him dancing quite closely with the girl, and though he didn't think much on it, they did make a very attractive couple. The press had started rumors about him and Yuffie Kisaragi, since it was widely known that the girl would be the heiress to her father's vast fortune, and since he himself had one of the power seats in Midgar. Vincent still had a long way to go in order to stand head to head with Shinra, but he was one of the few men who had built his company from the ground up, and he hadn't inherited anything from daddy the way Rufus Shinra had. He would keep working to achieve his goal and no one would stand in his way. He picked up his phone, eyes on the image of Yuffie's narrowed eyes and he dialed a number.

"Godo? This is Vincent Valentine. Did Zack tell you about the meeting?" He waited for confirmation and nodded to himself. "Godo, make sure that your daughter is present. Why? Because there are a few things I would like to speak to her about. Yes, yes. I will see you then."

He hung up and thought about what he would really say to her. Though she didn't look it, Vincent was sure that Yuffie would have control over her father's company eventually. Godo had made his own empire, and his company would be just the boost he needed to get up to level with Shinra, maybe even to surpass them. He just had to find a way to go about it, especially when the girl seemed to loathe him on sight. No matter. There hadn't been a woman who had _ever_ been able to resist him for long, and Yuffie Kisaragi wouldn't be the exception.

…………

After doing her morning stretches and then moving on to her agility exercises, Yuffie wondered who it was the was disturbing her training. Tifa, Cloud, and Godo knew better, but she realized that they wouldn't call her unless it was an emergency. She sighed to herself from her perch on a beam at the very top of her training room and she slid down the nearest rope. Walking over to the table by the door, she answered her cell phone when it began ringing once more. "What?" she snapped.

"Mind your tone."

"Godo? I was training, you know how I hate it when my exercises are interrupted," she said into the phone, unwrapping the black bandages from her hands. The material helped to keep her hands from chafing on the ropes she used to train.

"I do know that, daughter, but it is important for you to bring me some papers I left in my office. I need them now and there is no one else who can pick them up," Godo said impatiently.

Yuffie sighed. "Fine. You're lucky I'm using my training room in your home, old man, otherwise I wouldn't have even bothered to come all the way over here. I'll be there in an hour, maybe less," she said before hanging up.

After taking a shower and dressing normally, which consisted on shorts that barely merited the name, a stomach baring shirt, and tall boots that took her a while to lace up, she walked towards her father's office and located the portfolio with Godo's papers. She sighed to herself and called Tifa so that her cousin could meet her at a fast food place for lunch.

She arrived at her father's office in record time, handing over the keys of her motorcycle to the dorky security guy at the front desk. The other security man was big and buff and very intimidating. His name was Barret and with him around, no one was stupid enough to try to start any trouble at her father's company. "Keep an eye on my baby, won't you?" she asked with a wink, smirking when the guy blushed and nodded. She took the elevator, thankful that she was alone, and was at the floor where her father's office was located in minutes. Her helmet crashed onto his desk after she stormed in and she pulled the portfolio out of the messenger bag she carried her computer in.

"Yuffie, always a pleasure in the mornings," Godo said dryly, taking the portfolio and bringing out his papers. "Have a seat. We have a meeting in five minutes with someone who requested your presence."

"What?" Yuffie asked, sitting down in a swively chair. "Who?"

"Valentine," Godo said with a smirk. "What did you do, Yuffie? He doesn't usually pursue women this way. He must like you. Now, remember what I told you at the fundraiser."

"Godo, I didn't tell you were to shove it that day because there was press and we were in public. But today—"

"Relax," her father said impatiently. "I don't know that he has interest in you that way, but he did ask for you to be in the meeting. He said he wanted to speak to you about a few things, and he didn't say what," Godo said calmly.

Yuffie gave Godo a suspicious look. "You better not be trying to go all cupid on me. I'm nowhere near ready to get married, let alone with some jerk who thinks we still live in the years when women had to obey their husbands even against their will."

Godo's phone beeped and he answered it, a smile on his face. "Thank you Vicky, show Mr. Valentine in please," he said. He turned to look at Yuffie and was appalled by how Vincent would find her, since she was wearing an outfit that was not something a proper lady would wear. But Yuffie was right. He was a doormat and he usually let her and Tifa have their way with everything. He truly was pathetic. But he had a backbone now and then. "Behave yourself," he whispered threateningly before Vincent stepped into the office.

"Godo. Thank you for seeing me today. Miss Yuffie," Vincent greeted.

"Valentine," Yuffie said, tone bored and uninterested. "Can we start this thing? I have a meeting with Tifa afterwards and I would hate to be late to lunch."

"It's the only time when she _isn't_ late," Godo said to Vincent as they shook hands.

Yuffie rolled her eyes and crossed her legs, taking advantage of how short her shorts really were. The boots helped in making her legs look longer, and though she was short, she knew how to use her looks to her advantage. She wasn't conceited or vain, but when a woman knew how to use her looks as a weapon, she made for a formidable enemy.

Vincent took a seat next to Yuffie and handed Godo a portfolio. "As Fair told you, I am here to discuss with you the benefits of combining our companies. It doesn't have to be now, but if we both want to rise in this city where power is everything, it would be best if you considered it," he said seriously.

Yuffie's eyes were narrowed as she looked at her father. "You can't be seriously thinking about this. Who would have majority power if the companies come together? You can't be thinking about splitting the company in half, what would be in it for you, right? Are you planning to shut out my dad and for you to remain as president of the entire thing? It's ludicrous, dad," she said, turning to her father.

Godo listened to his daughter. She did have a point. He was usually cautious about his company and Valentine's offer did seem a little too good to be true. After all, there couldn't very well be two presidents in one company, and he wasn't willing to let the other man have complete control. He had taught his daughter well. "I think it would be best if we just considered being partners while keeping our companies individual. That is all I am looking for at the moment," Godo said, noting how Yuffie flashed him a small smile and went back to looking bored.

Vincent refrained from narrowing his eyes. Hmm, inviting Yuffie to their small meeting had been a bad idea. She _was_ too smart for her own good, and though he wasn't willing to illegally steal companies from other people, he was convinced that making his and Godo's company one would be the best chance at their power rising. All he had to do was find a way for Godo to see that he would have an equal share in it all. One of those ways was by convincing Yuffie. "Hmm. Let us set a date for a board meeting where we will sign the contracts and become partners then."

There was a knock at the door and Vicky stepped in. "I'm sorry to disturb you, sir, but there is a Mr. Hewley here. He says he needs your signature on some contracts. I asked him to wait in the conference room."

Godo nodded and stood. "I will return shortly. These contracts are of dire importance. You do not mind, Vincent?"

Vincent shook his head once. "Take your time," he replied calmly. Godo nodded and walked out quickly.

Yuffie picked invisible lint from her thigh high stockings, which happened to match with her boots. "What is _really_ your interest in my father's company? Do you hunger power so much that you would steal another person's hard work?"

"I'm not talking about stealing anything," Vincent said, eyes taking in what she was wearing and the motorcycle helmet sitting on the desk. The helmet looked to be designed to look like a spray-painted ninja, complete with black mask and a shuriken in his gloved hand, along with some ninja stars sailing out of the other hand. He turned back to look at Yuffie. "This is a legitimate business offer. It's not my fault that you have trust issues and you can not see what this is really about."

Yuffie turned to him and scoffed. "Please. Like I would even bother trusting a man who works with Shinra." At the look on his face she smirked. "Did you think that you were the only one investigating potential partners?"

Vincent gave her a suspicious look. "Did your father ask you to do this?"

Yuffie shook her head. "Contrary to what you may think, my father doesn't know about every step I take. Besides, you investigate me, I investigate you. I don't know who you are, and I don't know what your intentions are with the company that has taken blood, tears, and years to become what it is now."

"I don't do anything illegally," Vincent said calmly. "Your father will have an equal share in everything that has to do with the company."

"Why do you need so much power anyway?" she asked curiously. "You have enough money—or even more—to surpass most of the people at the meeting that was held a few days ago. You should be using it for good instead of trying to take over the damned world," Yuffie said snidely. At his raised eyebrow, she sighed. "Do you really think that Midgar is going to become a better city if Shinra doesn't stop its polluting and the stealing of its resources? There are thousands of homeless people and orphaned children in the slums. You business men only worry about yourselves and you allow the world to continue to die as you gain power and money. It's disgusting."

"And what do _you_ do to help? You have no true career and you live off of your father. How are _you_ helping Midgar?" Vincent asked with honest interest. He wasn't about to get preached on by a spoiled rich girl who knew nothing of real life.

"I do my share, and that's all you need to know. Contrary to what you may think, I don't live my life spending my father's money," Yuffie snapped, getting up and grabbing her helmet.

"There's no need to get so defensive if I'm wrong," Vincent stated with a smirk.

Yuffie glared at him and resisted the urge to slap him. Godo walked back into the office just in time to see the look on her face and he sighed to himself. "I have to go, pops. I've heard enough nonsense to last me a lifetime," she said with a smirk.

Vincent stood to his full height and matched her smirk with his own. "I must leave as well, Godo," he said, shaking his hand. "But I will leave that report with you so that you can consider my proposal without _any_ interruptions."

Godo nodded and watched Valentine follow his daughter out of the office. He wasn't suspicious that they had agreed to something, since the sour look on Yuffie's face was something to go by, but he no longer had any doubts that Valentine felt _some_ type of interest in her. He sat down and smirked to himself. Maybe Yuffie would marry the man in the future. That would surely guarantee a good partnership.

Meanwhile, Yuffie stood waiting for the elevator impatiently, trying to ignore the man next to her. He had so much nerve to talk to her the way he had. Just for being a smartass, she would steal something from him. Maybe a car, or something more valuable. She sighed and tapped her foot once the both of them entered the elevator. She'd have to discuss the friggin' muzac in the elevator with her father. It didn't really help with the tension and it was utterly annoying to listen to. When the elevator finally opened, she walked out without a word and walked over to the man at the desk. "Did you take care of her?" she asked with a smile.

He nodded. "Y-yes m-miss Yuffie. No one touched it while you were with your father."

"Thanks," she said with a wink before grabbing her keys and walking off. She took the steps with quick ease and slipped a leg over her pride and joy. Cloud had been the one to do the adjustments and had built it from scratch for her as a birthday gift. To Yuffie it was better than one bought at a store and it ran far faster than any out in production at the moment. As she placed her helmet over her head, slipping the visor over her eyes, she turned to look at Vincent as he waited for his car to be brought over to him. He was watching her, eyes narrowed in thought. Yuffie saluted him with a hand covered by fingerless gloves and smirked to herself. _Say goodbye to one of your possessions, _she thought to herself before revving the engine and kicking up the stand.

Vincent watched her speed off and wondered just what hid behind a woman like Yuffie. She was unlike any female he had ever met, and though he didn't think he would ever feel more than curiosity and fleeting attraction towards her, he was interested on getting to know her on a deeper level. As his car was brought over and he stepped into the driver's seat, he thought about how to get the girl onto his side. Without Yuffie, Godo would never agree to the merger, and though Vincent wasn't in a rush, he needed Godo in the near future. Yuffie was the key to it all, and if that meant seducing the girl, well then he would just make the sacrifice, he thought with a smirk.

……………

"How fast can you bring up the security system of a private home?" Yuffie asked before taking a bite out of a huge cheeseburger.

Tifa shrugged as she sipped her float. "Depends on the home and what type of security it is. Who did you have in mind?"

"Valentine. He was a total ass once more and I must say that I don't like him one bit," Yuffie explained as they sat in a private booth of a diner that was famous for its hamburgers. "He _requested_ that I be in his and Godo's mini-meeting just so that he could be a smartass. He called me a spoiled rich girl who does nothing but live off of daddy. I decided that he would pay for that by giving up a possession of his."

"You want us to break into his home? Do you even know where he lives?" Tifa asked.

Yuffie shook her head. "No, but I'm sure we can find out today. I want to see how long it takes him to see that something is missing from his home."

"What are we going to do with it afterwards?" Tifa asked curiously.

The ninja shrugged. "We'll see once we know what we're stealing. You'll come with me?"

Tifa nodded and grinned. "I have the gear in my car. Want to go from here?"

"Are we well equipped to do this now?"

"Wasn't it you who said we should always be ready for anything?" the long haired woman asked before munching on some fries.

Yuffie nodded. "All right then, I'll drive while you find his address," she said with anticipation. She couldn't wait to pull a fast one on Vincent Valentine. He wouldn't know what hit him.

……………

"Wow. Are you sure he's single?" Tifa asked as they came upon a house that resembled and ancient Wutai temple, or something of the sorts, with a more modern edge to it. The structure was beautiful, but it also screamed money as well with its design and the vast green land surrounding it. Valentine's home was located in the outskirts of the city, not too far to take him longer than an hour to get to his office, but not close enough to suffer because of the pollution and the city noise. He lived in a section of Midgar where other mansions—for lack of a better word—were located.

"The whole front and backyard have motion sensors that will go off if we try to get in there. There _is_ a place near the west side of the place where there is an exit. That is our only way in or out. Problem is that we may be seen by his security cameras. I don't know how long we'll have if we knock them out, or if Valentine will be notified."

"We'll have to risk it. Can you hook into his system from out here, or do we have to actually get into the house to do it. It looks like he'll have some type of housekeeper or even maids taking care of a place as big as this," Yuffie said as she sat in the back of her cousin's SUV and changed into her thief gear. She slipped her gloves on and slipped on the ear piece that kept her and Tifa in touch just in case they separated.

Tifa typed away into her mini-computer and frowned. "The security system inside the house is only partly on."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that if a door remains open for too long, the security company is notified and they will call or send someone over to look into it. Same if the motion sensors go off. Maybe we should come back and do this once we know a little more about the house and the system," Tifa said.

Yuffie shook her head. "If you want, I can go in by myself. You can stay out here and monitor the security system and you can warn me when I need to get out."

"It just feels like we're totally unprepared for this, especially during the daytime," Tifa said as she slipped on her boots and a pair of gloves as well.

Yuffie shook her head. "It's not like it'll be easier at night, with Valentine in the house, right?" Tifa nodded in agreement and they both stepped out of the car, which was parked a few blocks away. "How about climbing the trees? Think they have motion sensors too?"

Tifa checked her computer and shook her head. "As far as the schematics show, only the grass around it. I can try giving you a boost up, but you'll have to let me in once you're inside."

Yuffie nodded. "That's good. Let's focus on getting passed the gate and then we'll work from there," she said, slipping on her mask as they slipped through the shadows provided by the high fence around the house. "Can you loop the security cameras now?"

"Already done. Let's get in," Tifa said as they cautiously approached the gated door and peeked inside. "Move back, someone's coming," she said quietly. Yuffie and she both pulled back and almost literally sunk into the bushes of flowers right at the edge of the fence. The door opened and a woman in a neat uniform stepped out, a small smile on her face. "The door," Tifa whispered as the door began to close as the woman walked off to throw away the garbage.

Yuffie slipped in first and then Tifa followed, both not touching the door. The run towards the house was a quick and quiet one, and both slipped in through the unlocked kitchen door. "That was a little too easy for comfort," Yuffie whispered. She and Tifa dove behind the kitchen island when they heard the voices of two women, arguing about who had to clean the office and the bedrooms. The voices carried away as the women moved into the back room where the laundry room was.

"Three woman so far. I hope we don't run into any more. Where to?" Tifa asked as they slipped out of the kitchen as silent as ghosts.

Yuffie noticed the hallways that led away from the kitchen and living room and motioned to her cousin. "Inspect the bedrooms and I will see if I can find anything fancy here," she murmured, eyes taking in the modern style with very few pieces of furniture. It was a more modernized Wutain style, and Yuffie found that it suited a man like Vincent Valentine. There were pieces of art that caught her eye, but she didn't think that they would mean all that much to a man like Vincent. She needed to find _something_ that would hit him to the core. The sound of voices once more caught her attention, and she slipped behind the heavy curtains, nearly holding her breath. "Black Rabbit, two old birds heading your way. They're the maids we heard in the kitchen."

"Roger," Tifa replied. "Rooms are clean. Paintings on the walls aren't worth stealing, though they are beautiful pieces. I doubt he wouldn't be able to purchase more without missing a beat."

"I'll be in the office, warn me if someone is approaching," Yuffie said.

"I'll be out as soon as the old birds move away. There's more to this place than what we see."

Yuffie took off quickly and opened one of the double doors of what she had deduced was his office. Her eyes scanned quickly and landed on some glass cases against the far wall of a very clean and professional looking office. It looked far more modern than Godo's and Yuffie had to stop and admire Valentine's taste so far. Her eyes were wide as she looked at the items carefully encased in glass. One was a group of ten shiny round balls, too big to be marbles, too colorful to be rocks, and too smooth to be any type of crystals. The label at the bottom read, _"Ancient Materia." _It also had a date that had Yuffie wondering if the things really were from the era before man.

She moved to the next items and her eyes were wide. It was a gun of beautiful craftsmanship and design. It was triple-barreled with the design of some type of vicious dog at every barrel. At the foot of it was the name, _"Cerberus."_ Nothing more was labeled, and Yuffie stared for a moment, wondering which to take. "Black Rabbit, I need you in here. I found something we can take and that he'll surely miss."

"What's your location, White Rabbit?"

"Northeast end, coming from the living room. Room with double doors."

Within seconds, Tifa was there and with her computer out. She scanned both displays, though she noticed that there were a few others that her friend hadn't even bothered to look at and nodded. "They're clean. Which is pretty stupid, considering the fact that these are obvious collectibles. Maybe the room is wired in some way," Tifa said.

Yuffie nodded and removed her trusty glass cutter, just as she neared it to the glass, Tifa stopped her before kneeling. "There is some type of wiring running up the back of the stand. Shit. It looks like the glass is electrified or something. It'll most likely send a nasty shock through you if you touch it."

"How do we get it then?" Yuffie asked, eyes a little wide.

"Cut the power to the house," Tifa said, grinning behind her mask. "How I do love a challenge."

"Can you do it from here?" Yuffie asked, hoping that none of the maids decided to come in. She really didn't feel like hitting middle-aged ladies, today. Or any day, for that matter.

Tifa typed away and nodded. "Vincent should've thought better when designing his home with new-age technology," she said, a smirk in her voice. "Cutting power. Now."

The rooms went dark, only a few slivers of light coming through the curtains and Yuffie used the cutter on the glass, quickly removing the ancient materia and placing them all carefully into a pouch on her hip. "Should we take the gun too?"

Tifa snorted. "I don't think he's screwed you over this bad. Let the man keep his prizes. I bet he'll miss these enough," she said as they made for the windows.

"Are the motion sensors down?" Yuffie whispered.

"Yeah, let's go," Tifa replied.

They both jumped out of the office window easily, and straight to face a familiar man. Tifa nearly gasped, but refrained. "Don't move," Zack said seriously, pulling out his cell phone and dialing a number. "You should know better than to steal from Vincent Valentine."

Yuffie watched with wide eyes as Tifa moved forward and drove her fist into Zack's face before dropping low and sweeping her leg out, toppling the tall man over. Yuffie refrained from laughing and brought out a spray from her belt and using it on Zack before he could stand and fight them back. He fell back unconscious. "Let's go," she said, dragging Tifa off.

"What the hell was he doing here?" Tifa hissed as they took off at a fast run towards the high fences.

"Maybe they live together or something. Valentine said that they were friends," Yuffie replied as she gained speed and climbed the wall with an ease born from years and years of training as a ninja. Tifa did so as well, but her training came from martial arts and the likes. They were both deadly in their own ways. Jumping over to the other side, they kept running, keeping an eye on their backs in case Zack had been able to contact whoever had been on the phone. Both women just hoped that it hadn't been the police.

They ran down towards the SUV and got in, making a u-turn and speeding away. "We'll have to hack security for the entire block," Tifa panted a little as Yuffie drove. "The last thing we want is to leave breadcrumbs. They'll try to identify my car too. We won't be able to use it for a couple of months."

"We'll just take it back to Godo's collection and use a new one, he doesn't even know how many cars he has," Yuffie said with a grin, pulling off her mask once they were a good distance away. "You got into the block's security cameras?"

"Yeah. Us coming and going is now… erased," Tifa said before cracking her knuckles. "Geez, I didn't want to hurt Zack."

"Relax. He didn't even know it was you," Yuffie said with a grin. "Thanks for having my back, Teef."

"Not a word to Cloud or he'll go on and on about how we can't take care of ourselves without him. Seriously, the man needs to get a grip. We're not as defenseless as he likes to think," Tifa said impatiently. "So… what are you going to do with your prize?"

Yuffie shrugged. "Maybe I'll give it back… someday," she said with a happy, belly laugh. "For now I think I'll put them somewhere safe and enjoy my victory."

……………

Early on the following Saturday morning, Yuffie was sitting in her favorite armchair, sipping a cappuccino and flipping through the news. She wished she could've slept late into the morning, but she had been way too giddy for much sleep. Valentine had gone public on his robbery, and he had even gone as far as to offer a reward to anyone who either had information of who had robbed him, or of where his priceless possessions currently were. Yeah, like someone would report seeing the materia somewhere, that would make them suspects as well.

So she sat there and tore pieces off of her ham and cheese croissant little by little. Her computer beeped, letting her know that there was a message and she sat up. "Teef!" she shouted to her cousin, who was sleepily making herself some coffee.

"What?" Tifa asked, scratching her back as she approached her.

Yuffie pointed to her computer. "Have we ever heard of this buyer?"

Tifa pulled up a different program and typed in the buyer's alternate name. "He's purchased a painting from you before. Last year. We haven't heard from him since the heist of the painting we did in Junon. Remember when you nearly fell off of the roof because the target had pet snakes everywhere?"

Yuffie shuddered. "Yeah. Who needs to have _that_ many snakes? That man was looking to get eaten in his sleep. Anyway, can we trust the buyer? He wants Tuesti's painting, and he also wants us to locate another one. Doesn't know where it is or who has it, but he'll pay good gil for it."

"Let's see if the painting is somewhere reachable, then we'll confirm and we'll have a date as to when we can get it," Tifa said, grabbing a plain croissant from the box at the breakfast table.

Yuffie nodded and typed a brief message before sending it to the client. She smirked in satisfaction and flipped another channel, stopping at the image of Vincent on the screen. He was threatening in that non-threatening way of his, and the woman reporting was going on and on about the recent robberies. Yuffie watched with raised eyebrows as they finally reported all the robberies she and her friends had done in the past month. "Hey Teef, they finally leaked to the press about all the other heists!"

"Do they have clues?"

"Nope! We left nothing!" Yuffie said with a whoop, Tifa cheering in her room too. Yuffie grinned to herself and paused on the image of Vincent on the screen, her eyes taking in the dark hair, short, and the slightly slanted crimson eyes. He looked very good in a dark-blue suit, but it didn't take away from the fact that he was a total jerk with her. "I'm not just a spoiled rich girl living off of daddy, and you'll find that out soon enough," she muttered to herself.

………………

"These have been the robberies in the past month. Each one has been precise and with no traces left behind. We are dealing with master thieves," Zack pointed out, bringing up on his computer, and it projected on the wall, each thing that had been taken and how it had been done. "A penthouse was robbed, but all that was found was a broken statue, which more than likely was an accident, and rope in the guard dog's mouth."

Vincent looked at every single robbery with a critical eye. "They come and go the same way. Through helicopter you think?"

"What else?" Zack asked. "Unless they're jumping off the roof with parachutes or something of the like. Though someone is bound to notice a parachute at one time or another. Do you think we're dealing with the same people who stole from you?"

"I have always trusted my instinct and I get the feeling that these are all the work of the same person/people. And when I think on it, Yuffie Kisaragi comes to mind," Vincent replied.

"Why?" Zack asked with a frown. He found it hard to believe that someone like Yuffie could be a master thief, even with her ninja training. She just had too much to lose if she was.

"Something she said to me when I saw her in Godo's office. She told me that she does her part in helping the city. I sincerely doubt that she runs around in a mask, fighting crime," he said sarcastically. Zack just grinned and shook his head. "Something about her is off, and I will give half of my fortune to charity if I am wrong."

"I hope you don't have to bring out the checkbook for _that_ amount any time soon," Zack muttered. He wasn't saying that the people didn't need the help—he donated gil himself for those in need whenever he could—but Vince was talking about a _very_ ridiculous amount of gil. "What will you do now?"

"Lay out the bait," Vincent said with a smirk, sitting back. "One way or another, I will have Yuffie Kisaragi in my hands."

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Woo! Evil Vince. How was that? Not much VinceYuffie interaction here, but that will change in the following chapter. What can Vincent possibly have in mind for our ninja thief? The plot thickens and the drama is at our doorstep. Anyway, I hope it's getting better and that everyone enjoyed, since I really liked this chapter. I want to thank everyone for reviewing the first chapter, and I would like to point out that I'm still taking votes for Zack or Cloud as Tifa's man. The triangle thing will continue for a few chapters, but will eventually have to change, so you still have time to vote! Right now I think we're tied for both guys, so break it! I know it's cheating, but my vote is kind of with Zack, mostly because I still have an obsession thing going for him—he's so hot—but change my mind peeps! Anyway, thanks for listening to my ramblings and I hope to update soon!

Joey


	3. Secret Pasts

Woohoo! Another update two days after the last! Enjoy…

……………………………………

**Secret Pasts**

……………………………………

"Wow, you look hot," Yuffie said with a grin.

Tifa twirled and sneaked a glance at Cloud, who was sitting at the breakfast table, eating cereal, even though it was already dinner time. She knew she looked pretty, but the one guy she had wanted to hear that from was a total idiot who didn't see her. Never mind, maybe Zack would know how to appreciate her. "Thank you. Now, I don't know where he's taking me, but he asked me to bundle up. Still, a girl can look good in these types of pants and a turtleneck, right?" she asked with a grin.

"Dark blue suits you," Yuffie commented as she took a sip from her juice. "Hey, maybe he's taking you ice skating or something!"

"But it's not snowing," Tifa said, catching the snort from Cloud. She turned to glare at him. "What," she snapped, not even making it a question.

Cloud simply shrugged and kept crunching. Yuffie waved a hand dismissively and handed Tifa a scarf. "There's this skating rink downtown. It's open for most of the year and I hear it's a really nice place to go to with your date. If he kisses you, you have to tell me all about it!"

Cloud let out a small, obnoxious laugh. "Am I forgetting something or are we still in boarding school?" he asked, getting up and setting his bowl in the dishwasher. "You're acting like this is Tifa's first date."

"It's my first date with a _real man_," she snarked, remembering that when they had been sixteen, she and Cloud had gone on a date to the movies, right before he had met Aerith. That had been the one and only date they had ever been on.

The blond's eyes narrowed and he leaned back against the kitchen sink, his gaze on Tifa as they stared each other down. Yuffie cleared her throat and moved towards the door when there was a knock. "Hey, Mr. Fair, how's it going?" the shorter woman asked.

Zack grinned and winked at her. "Mr. Fair is my father, please don't call me that. I'm not in a rush to wear glasses and use loafers," he with a chuckle.

Yuffie just smiled and turned to Tifa, who shot Cloud one last glare before turning to smile at Zack. Tifa walked over to him and pressed a kiss to his cheek in greeting. "It's good to see you again," she said sweetly. "Are you going to tell me now where we're going?" she asked curiously.

The tall man nodded. "We have a date at that popular skating rink downtown tonight. It'll be all for us for the rest of the night, with no other distractions," Zack said. Then he scratched his head. "You do know how to skate, don't you?"

Tifa blushed and shook her head. "I have excellent balance though," she said with a nervous laugh, ignoring the amused look on Yuffie's face.

"No worries then. I can teach you how to skate. Besides, it'll give me an excuse to hold your hand," he said with a wink.

Cloud had had enough of the sappiness. Really, who the hell did this guy think he was? "What time are you going to have her back?" he asked abruptly, coming up behind Tifa.

"Whoo, relax pops, I thought Godo was in his own house tonight," Yuffie said with a smirk.

"I'm the man in this house, and it's up to me to protect you and Tifa. You're both like my little sisters," he said casually.

His words only served to flare up Tifa's anger. His sister, huh? Well, she'd show him that she was most certainly _not_ his sister. "We should go. I want to make the most of tonight," she said, a little smile on her lips.

"Don't worry, big brother, I'll have your little sister back when _she_ decides," Zack said with a grin, ushering Tifa out the door.

They both missed the scowl that crossed Cloud's face, but Yuffie certainly didn't. "Why don't you just admit that you're in love with Tifa? I mean, is that so hard to do?" she asked him with a knowing look.

Cloud gave her a dark look. "I don't feel anything for Tifa but the love for a friend," he said, heading towards the refrigerator and grabbing a beer.

"Yeah, once you do realize that you really care for her as more than friends, it'll be too late and she'll be with this other guy," Yuffie said before heading towards her room. "Though if he treats her like a queen once they're married, I don't think that would necessarily be a bad thing."

Cloud scoffed to himself and didn't pay attention to how his stomach felt sour at the thought of Tifa being married to another man. Besides, she was still too young to be thinking about marriage. Wasn't she?

Inside her room, Yuffie grinned and brought out a jewelry box made of a dark oak that had once been her mother's favorite tree. The tree had been in the backyard of the house she had been born in, and during a storm, it had been struck by lightning, cutting the majestic tree in half. Her father, Yuffie's grandfather, had made the box by hand, and had given it to her mother as a birthday gift. Upon her mother passing away, the box had become Yuffie's, and it held her most precious possessions. Now though, along with her grandmother's locket, various letters her mother had made to her upon leaning that she would eventually die because of a rare illness, and few other various treasures, the ancient materia orbs sat in the box. Yuffie opened the box and ran a gentle hand over the silk lining before they settled on her personal prize.

She brought out the red one and stared down at it, her thoughts inevitably moving to the rude business man who seemed to know which buttons to push to rile her nerves. Was he doing it on purpose or could it be that she was being too judgmental? Didn't matter anymore. If he had gone public with the robbery, that meant that he had cherished the materia greatly. Maybe taking the gun would've brought on a bigger type of reaction.

Yuffie stared down at the red orb and the light caught it, making it shine beautifully, but also serving to remind Yuffie of the color of Vincent's eyes. She just smirked to herself and placed the orb away just as her computer beeped. She stood from her bed and walked over to the desk, opening her laptop. She typed in her password and the screen came on with the results of a search Tifa had started before getting ready for her date. A heavy sigh left her and she ran a hand through her short hair. "Cloud!" A few minutes after she called, he walked into her room, giving her an irritated look, since he was already in his pajamas. "Did I wake you, gramps? What are you doing sleeping so early?"

"What do you want?" he nearly snapped, eyes a darker blue in his annoyance.

"Take a look at where the painting the client requested is," Yuffie said, stepping away from her computer and moving off to place her jewelry box in its usual spot.

Cloud looked at her screen and typed a few things to make sure the search was accurate. "Shit. Valentine's office? I don't know," he muttered. "How much is the client offering for both Tuesti and Valentine's paintings?"

Yuffie sighed and brought out her trusty Shuriken to polish the sharp blades. "Two million gil," she replied. She noticed the frown on Cloud's face, and though he could sometimes be a jerk too, his instincts were usually spot on. "Think it's too good?"

"To be true?" he finished the saying with smirk. "Yeah, I do. Maybe you should contact the buyer and tell him that he can have Tuesti's, but that you can't find the other one. You've already stolen from Valentine, I don't think he's taken the first robbery lightly. He won't let it happen again."

Yuffie eyed him. "How did you…"

"Come on, Yuffs, give me _some_ credit. I'm not totally oblivious to you and Tifa," Cloud said dryly. "Besides, Godo told me about the meeting and how you were angry when you left. I hate to break it to you, but you're a vindictive type of person."

"No I'm not!" she exploded. Well… "Okay, maybe I kinda am, but I resort to stealing as revenge when people wear out my patience. This guy was asking for it."

Cloud shrugged. "Back to the point, I don't think we can trust this client. Tell him we'll get the Tuesti, take it or leave it. Then we should lay low for a few months," he said, making his way towards the door. "And you know… maybe… it wouldn't be too bad if Tifa found a guy who treated her like a queen," he said quietly, not turning to see Yuffie's reaction.

The ninja watched him go and frowned. If this was one of those, _"I'm not good enough for her. She needs to be with a guy who has money,"_ she would shove her shuriken up his ass. Cloud was an idiot if he thought that Tifa cared at all about gil. Though Yuffie was sure that Godo would most likely split half of his money and leave them with equal shares—which she didn't mind one bit—Tifa was a wonderful person who wasn't at all materialistic. She didn't care about money, and she certainly didn't care if her guy was rich or poor either. If Cloud thought Tifa did, then he really didn't know her as well as they had thought. Yuffie sighed to herself and decided to wait for Tifa to come back from her date in order to discuss the heists.

…………

"Oh, wow. This looks great," Tifa complimented, noticing how the lights were focused on the ice skating rink, and all the others were shut off.

"I'm glad you liked it. I just figured that I could take you somewhere guys don't usually take girls to on a first date," Zack said with a smile. "Take a look at this," he said, motioning with his hand. The ceiling above them began to part and the shine from the moon and stars winked above them.

Tifa stared and tried her best to keep her balance as they stepped onto the ice. She would've slipped and fallen on her butt, but Zack was there, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and bringing her close to him. She looked into his eyes and felt herself blushing. Geez, why did this feel like her first date all over again? She was twenty, and she had certainly dated other guys, it was just that she had never dated someone like Zack. A professional business man—since she and Yuffie had looked him up as well—he was an ex-SOLDIER who now worked with Vincent Valentine as his business advisor. He was well off on money, and he was barely in his early twenties. He was his own brand of ruthless wrapped up with an easy smile, and pretty eyes.

"You okay?" he asked Tifa with a grin.

Tifa nodded and gripped his forearms as she tried to stand on her own without falling over. "I just need to get the hang of it a little," she said, slipping slightly.

"Come on," he said lightly. "Let's practice so that you can try to stand on your own."

"I thought you wanted an excuse to touch me," Tifa said boldly.

Zack let out a laugh. "Yeah, but I want the chance to do it again some other day. If I take advantage today, you may not want to see me again," he replied as he began a slow lap around the rink.

Tifa smiled and looked around when slow music started to play through the speakers all around the rink. She turned to look at Zack and he just shrugged and turned her into his arms so that they were pressed together, but still moving. "After this date, I think I'll want to see you again," she whispered.

He smiled and nodded, his hands chastely holding her around the waist. "Would you care to share this dance with me?"

"Sure," Tifa murmured, keeping her balance and wondering if this guy would help her in getting over a certain oblivious blond. She had spent most of her teenage years figuring out exactly what she had felt for Cloud, but then he had asked Aerith to be his girlfriend, and they had been dating on and off again for the better part of six years now, though neither one of them seemed to want to move forward with their relationship. Tifa had dated her own share of guys—mostly to spite Cloud—but she had never found a guy who had interested her the way Cloud did. Not until now.

She looked up into those blue, blue eyes and let out a slow breath when he closed the distance between them and kissed her. When he pulled back, Tifa blushed and smiled.

"Your nose is cold," Zack said. "How about I take you to get some hot chocolate?"

Tifa nodded. "How about we go, _after_ you teach me how to ice skate?"

"You'll be a pro by the time we're done!" Zack exclaimed, letting go of one of her hands. Tifa kept her balance for all but ten seconds before she shrieked and fell, pulling Zack with her. "… Or maybe we'll need more practice," he said with a chuckle, rubbing his aching elbow, which had taken his weight when he landed on the ice.

Tifa giggled and took his hands when he stood and offered them. "I've never been on a date like this before," she said, following him once more, still a little wobbly.

……………

"How was your date?"

Tifa froze and stopped, turning towards Yuffie's favorite arm chair, which was occupied by Cloud at the moment. She smirked to herself. "Perfect," she said, making her way towards her room, intent on ignoring him.

"Do you like him?" Cloud asked, standing and following her into her room.

"What's with the Q & A?" Tifa asked, pulling off her warm jacket, and the scarf. Her boots followed and they put her shorter than Cloud, though Zack was far taller than the both of them.

Cloud shrugged one shoulder. "Just curious. I… Tifa, I just want you to be happy."

Tifa sighed and pulled her hair free of the tie it had been in, allowing the long strands to cascade down her back. Cloud's eyes followed the dark waterfall, but he looked away when Tifa pulled off her turtleneck and remained with a tank top. "Don't worry about me, Cloud. I can find my own happiness," she said softly. "I don't need you watching over me. You're _not_ my brother," she said the last part in an even more quiet tone.

Cloud let out a heavy sigh and nodded to himself. "But we're friends, right?"

"Yeah," Tifa replied, turning to look at him with a forced smile. "I can take care of myself, Cloud. And I really do like Zack. It's been a while since I've met such a great guy."

He had the feeling that she was talking about the day when they had met in boarding school, but he couldn't be too sure. His brain usually made assumptions about the wrong things. Tifa couldn't feel anything for him other than care for a friend. She was beautiful and pure, and too good for him. If she found someone who would love her the way she deserved, Cloud would be okay with it. He wouldn't be happy, but he would deal. "Just promise me one thing," he murmured.

Tifa looked at him and nodded. "What?"

"If he ever hurts you, you'll tell me," Cloud said with a small smile, trying to seem positive.

"Always trying to be my knight in shining armor, huh?" Tifa asked with a small, reminiscent smile. Cloud just nodded once. "Okay. I promise to let you know."

Satisfied with her answer, Cloud stepped towards her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Goodnight, Teef."

"Goodnight," Tifa replied as she watched him walk out of her room. As soon as he stepped into his own room, Yuffie pranced in.

"Was it my imagination or did he just kiss you?" Yuffie asked, shutting the door.

"On the forehead," Tifa said with a little shrug.

"How was your date? Did he kiss you?" Yuffie asked excitedly, bouncing on Tifa's bed. "Tell me!"

Tifa blushed and then nodded. "Yeah, we kissed, and sweet Leviathan… it was… I don't know how to describe it! It's totally cliché, but I had butterflies in my stomach. The only thing that ruined the night was that I fell on my butt like five times, and two of those times I brought him down with me!" she said as they both giggled. "The night sky was shining over us with stars and the moon, and we even danced as we skated. Then he took me to this small Wutain restaurant and we had dinner at a table with candles!"

Yuffie grinned and was happy to see Tifa so giddy. She had never seen her this way after a date, especially with the torch she was carrying for Cloud. The ninja let out a sigh and went serious. "The search found the painting we need."

Tifa paused in her hair brushing and gave her a questioning look. "And I take it it's somewhere unattainable? We do love challenges."

Yuffie shook her head. "I don't know about unattainable, but it is somewhere that may pose a big problem. It's in… Vincent Valentine's office," she said with a sigh.

Her cousin's eyes went wide and she fell back onto her bed. "And with the robbery on his house, he'll double his security and check that his offices and home are well guarded. Great," Tifa muttered.

"Cloud thinks we should just offer Tuesti's painting and let the client know that we haven't found the other one. Then that we should lay low for a couple of months because we're hot right now. Police will be guarding any place with priceless items," Yuffie said with a sigh. "We can do it, Teef. I know we can."

"You want to go ahead and try to take Valentine?" Tifa asked, sitting up and leaning against her headboard.

Yuffie nodded. "This isn't about revenge anymore. We're getting two million gil. One mil will go to the Midgar Scholarship Program for needy teens, and the other mil will go to the research of the illness that my mother died of. Cloud gave his okay, what do you think?"

Tifa nodded and smiled. "It doesn't matter who we help as long as we keep helping. Do you mind if I pick our next organization?" she asked.

"Of course, my dearest cousin. At this rate, we're going to make Midgar a better city by ourselves," Yuffie said with a smirk. "So how do we do it?"

"I'm going to prepare some scanners that you'll have to plant in Valentine's office, so start thinking of an excuse to getting in there. I'll have you install them in his office, the elevator, and somewhere in the hall outside of his office. That way we can scan the security system when the building closes for the night," Tifa said.

"Undetectable?" Yuffie asked as she stood and made for the door.

"Of course."

"Then I'll be ready. I already know how to get in there," Yuffie said with a mischievous grin. At Tifa's questioning look, Yuffie told her. "I have a wallet to return and a truce to fake."

"Good luck with that, then. I'll let you know when the scanners are ready," Tifa said with a smile.

"Night, Teefs. I hope you dream with many little Zack's," Yuffie said before closing the door after her.

Tifa just smiled to herself and hoped that she dreamed with Zack too. She was getting tired of having the same unattainable dream with Cloud.

……………

"Mr. Valentine?"

Vincent looked over from where he had been watching his stocks and smirked faintly. "Aerith, I thought I asked you to call me Vincent," he said lightly.

"Not while in the office, sir," she said with a sweet smile, green eyes twinkling brightly. "There is someone here to see you. I told her that you don't take visitors without appointments, but she insisted. She said that you wouldn't say no."

"Who is it?" Vincent asked suspiciously. Someone _that_ sure was either foolish, or just plain arrogant to assume so much.

Aerith smiled faintly at the surprise it had been to see Yuffie there, since she was one of Cloud's best friends and roommates, but she doubted that Vincent would bend his will for someone so… not his type. "A Miss Yuffie Kisaragi."

Vincent started and turned fully to look at his secretary. "Yuffie…" What could the little thief possibly want? "Show her in, Aerith, then hold any calls and let Zack know that I want no interruptions on his part either."

Aerith stared for a moment. Vincent didn't usually bend his will for anyone, why would he do it for Yuffie? Aerith broke out of her small trance when he gave her a pointed look. She smiled in embarrassment and nodded, quickly walking out. Seconds later, she showed Yuffie in before shutting door behind her.

The ninja was dressed similarly to how he had seen her in Godo's office, and Vincent realized that this was her normal getup. He didn't mind the shorts—what hot blooded male would—but he also came to understand that for all her thieving ways, she was still a child. "Hello, Mr. Valentine," she said with a small drawl.

Vincent inclined his head and motioned towards the chair. "Have a seat, Miss Yuffie. How can I help you?" he asked her.

"First off, you can call me Yuffie. The _Miss_ makes me feel a little weird," she admitted with a smile.

Vincent stared, wondering if he had missed something between their exchanges. Why was she being so civil if she had been peeved at him the last time they had seen each other? "Can I offer you something to drink?"

Yuffie shook her head and reached into a pocket of her shorts, handing over his wallet before she took a seat. "I'm here for a truce. I know I've been rude from the moment we truly met at the fundraiser, but you also had a part in this mini-war thing we've had going on."

He sat back and watched her with a blank expression. "Did you take the money in the wallet?"

She grinned and scratched her head. "I didn't take it for myself, honest. But I _did_ donate it at the fundraiser. So, in a way, you did a little more good for the homeless people."

Vincent refrained from smirking. She really was something else. "Why do you want a truce now?"

Yuffie shrugged. "Mostly because my dad asked me to do it, but also because I really hate going around making enemies," she replied.

"You shouldn't go around stealing from people then," he said lightly.

For some reason, his words made something in the back of her brain itch. She crossed her legs, and his eyes twitched a little, but he didn't watch the motion. Yuffie inwardly clapped him for his self-control and smiled faintly. "So what do you say, Mr. Valentine?"

Vincent thought about it for a moment and wondered if she was up to something. He nodded and stood, walking around his desk and standing in front of her. He extended his hand and watched as Yuffie looked at it before standing and shaking. In her ninja boots, she was even smaller when compared to him. "How about we celebrate this truce with dinner?"

Yuffie pulled her hand back and leaned back against his desk, slipping one of the scanners under his desk. "Dinner." He nodded and Yuffie bit her lip briefly. Her father would probably start planning the wedding if she accepted Valentine's offer for dinner. But in order to make her apology believable, she would accept. "Okay. But nowhere too fancy. I don't really like those high-collared places."

"Where would you rather go, then?" Vincent asked curiously.

"How about we go to a small place. Maybe a Corel or Wutai food restaurant," Yuffie offered. "Somewhere we can dress casually and not worry about using the wrong fork."

Vincent let out a small chuckle and nodded. "Is Saturday good for you?"

Yuffie tapped her chin in thought and nodded. "You can pick me up in Godo's home."

There was a knock at the door and Aerith stepped in with an apologetic look on her face. "Sir, I know you didn't want to be disturbed, but I have Rufus Shinra on the line. Should I ask him to call back? Because the last time I did, well… we both remember what happened."

Vincent let out an irritated sigh and nodded. "Transfer the call here." He turned to Yuffie and she offered him a bright smile that lit up her face. He could tell it was still a little forced, but it didn't take away from the fact that she looked pretty when she smiled.

"I'll get going then," she said. "You know where Godo lives right?"

"Yes. Saturday at seven in the evening?" Vincent asked. "Walk Yuffie out, Aerith, please?"

Yuffie nodded and walked out, cheering inwardly when his eyes followed her legs when he thought she wasn't looking. So much for his self-control, she thought with a smirk. All men were the same. "Don't worry about me," Yuffie said. "I know my way out."

Vincent didn't doubt that. He just didn't want to end up with anything important missing once more. Aerith looked at him. "Just get back to your work. I will handle Rufus on my own," he said.

Aerith walked out with Yuffie and offered her a smile. "You're a friend of Vincent's?" she asked casually.

Yuffie hummed. "We're trying to be friends. We started off on the wrong foot, and I came over to offer him a truce. I didn't know you worked here. You've known him for long?"

"A little. I basically grew up with him, since my mom has watched over him since his teenage years," Aerith replied, sitting at her desk and organizing some files.

"It was nice to see you again," Yuffie said honestly, reaching under the desk to plant another scanner. Though if Tifa had heard her, she would've choked on her own air, even if Yuffie was just saying it to be polite. "We should get together to have lunch one day, so that we can discuss your boss a little more," she said jokingly.

Aerith smiled and nodded. "I don't know about discussing my boss, but it would be nice to get to know you a little better, considering you're one of Cloud's best friends," she replied. "Have a good day!"

"You too," Yuffie said before walking off towards the elevator. Tifa would skin her alive if Yuffie ever decided to consort with _the enemy. _Once inside the elevator, she scanned for the camera and found it. She pulled out her phone and faked dropping it, reaching to the ground and sticking the flat scanner by the doors, where no one would really see it. "We are a go," she muttered to herself, just as the doors slid open.

Tifa was outside waiting for her inside of a different color and make of SUV they had recently borrowed from Godo. Yuffie slipped into the passenger seat and grabbed her lap-top, typing quickly as Tifa began to drive away. "How did it go?" she asked.

Yuffie grinned. "Like taking candy from a really big baby," she said. "We're going to dinner on Saturday."

"What? Hold up!" Tifa exclaimed, keeping her eyes on the road out of sheer force of will. "You went to make peace and you ended up accepting to date him?" she asked loudly.

"I couldn't turn him down when we were supposed to be making nice," Yuffie said with a shrug. "Besides, he's not too bad to look at. Especially in those expensive suits of his."

"Do I detect a crush?" Tifa asked smartly, turning into their favorite fast food place for lunch.

Yuffie rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Nope. But I will admit that he's hot."

Tifa just laughed and moved down her window to order their food. "I bet you a thousand gil that you end up marrying him this year."

Yuffie looked horrified. "Don't even joke about that!" she hissed, looking into her computer. "Okay, so far we have scans of almost every floor, thanks to the sensor scanning every floor the elevator stops on. You've got a very _nice_ invention here, Teefs. You should be working in the space program or some shit like that."

Tifa grinned and finished ordering. "Space doesn't interest me and you know it. Stealing, now there is a hobby worth pursuing," she said with a wink. Yuffie nodded and sighed as she looked through the schematics of the security system. By this time next week, the job would be over.

…………

"Daughter, are you sure that he isn't interested in you _that _way? Valentine has shown more interest in you than he has with any other women that he has previously dated," Godo said as he sipped on a glass of brandy.

Yuffie sighed in irritation and looked at herself, dressed as she normally would, but with shorts only a _fraction_ shorter. Her shoes were more like boots, but she was in love with them, since they were a black with white shoe laces. It took her nearly thirty minutes to get them on, but it was so worth it. "Dad, I'm trying to be nice to this guy. We're not getting married, and he hasn't shown any signs of being attracted to me. Stop hallucinating," she said impatiently.

"Shouldn't you wear a dress?" Godo asked.

"Dad," Yuffie started, but the doorbell rang through the mansion and one of Godo's maids opened the door, letting in a casual dressed Vincent. Yuffie tried not to stare as she took in the dress shirt and the slacks. He probably didn't know what jeans looked like, but he looked very nice as he was.

"Good evening," Vincent greeted, shaking Godo's hand and then pressing a kiss to Yuffie's knuckles as she watched him carefully. "Are you ready for us to go?" he asked.

Yuffie nodded and turned to her father, who looked far too pleased than she was comfortable with. The old man was crazy, and she suspected that he'd had a little too much brandy already. "Get to sleep, pops. You aren't getting any younger," she said with a wink, pressing a kiss to his cheek before she walked out with Vincent. Her eyes moved over the luxury car in front of her and she wondered vaguely if Vincent had anything that didn't scream money and power.

He opened the door for her and shut it like the perfect gentleman that he showed to the media, and Yuffie refrained from rolling her eyes. She wasn't opposed to dating a guy that could be a jerk once in a while. She had grown up during a different time than Vincent Valentine, though that didn't mean that he was _that_ old. They drove in silence for about thirty minutes, and he took her to a small restaurant as she had requested, though the place still had valet, and it looked a little expensive anyway.

Yuffie took a seat before he had the chance to pull her chair out and he merely smirked at her, taking a seat as well. "I hope this is to your liking," he said after ordering wine and a regular drink for her. After all, he couldn't forget that she wasn't even legal enough to drink alcohol or buy it on her own.

"It's nice, I'll admit that. Are we on a date or something?" Yuffie asked with a grin.

"Why do you ask?" Vincent questioned, eyes scanning the menu.

"Because I'd hate to tell my pops that his suspicions were correct. He has this insane idea that you're interested in me, and I'm not believing that," Yuffie said lightly, not even bothering to be embarrassed over such a bold comment.

Vincent set down his menu and looked at her in the eye, watching her blink a little as she tried to keep his gaze. "We're working on our truce, aren't we?" he asked.

Yuffie nodded and gave a small laugh. "Yeah."

"But… that doesn't mean that I do not find you attractive," Vincent added almost as an afterthought. He wasn't lying either. She was pretty, and he had eyes. Especially for legs like hers. Yuffie stared at him and then swallowed hard.

"Don't mention that to my dad," she muttered, turning to her menu.

Vincent smirked at her slightly flustered state and looked at his menu. "I wouldn't dream of it," he replied a few seconds later.

Yuffie started when she felt her phone shake in the pocket of her shorts. "Will you excuse me for a moment? I need to use the ladies room," she said, standing.

Vincent nodded. "Of course. Have you decided what to order?"

"Uh, anything that you get will be fine for me," she said before walking off.

Vincent grabbed his phone from his pocket and noticed Zack's missed calls. He dialed his friend's number and waited. "Fair?"

"Hey Vince. I found the person who took care of Yuffie Kisaragi's file. I won't tell you over the phone, but she's done pretty impressive stuff. Godo has bribed and threatened to keep her name clean, and in the eyes of the law, Yuffie has no criminal record anymore. But the guy who does the erasing keeps the old files for blackmailing purposes," Zack said.

"Did you dispose of the things you found?"

"Yeah. I destroyed everything the man had saved from clients and people he had been blackmailing. All I brought back was Yuffie's file. You need to see it man, she's… she's something else," Zack said with a chuckle.

"Fine. I will see it when I return home. Thank you," he said to his friend.

"You're welcome man, but I expect a good vacation when the time comes," Zack said brightly before they both hung up without saying goodbye.

Vincent sighed to himself and ordered for the waiter to fill his glass of wine once more. He did have a weak spot for women who were utterly impossible, and Yuffie Kisaragi was proving that she was the most impossible one of them all.

……

Yuffie pulled out her phone and answered when it began to shake in her hand once more. "What's going on, Teef? Did you accomplish what you were trying to do?"

"Yeah Yuffie, we managed to hack into Shinra's server, just to see if it could be done. And it can be done for all but five minutes before we're shut out and their system attempts to locate us. This system must've been designed by Reeve or something…"

"Quit stalling and just tell me," Yuffie said impatiently.

"We found Valentine's real file," Tifa said urgently. "It was Cloud's idea, but I thought he was being stupid…"

"Teef!"

"Yeah?"

"Get to the point."

"Right. I really think that we need to leave him alone. _You_ need to leave Vincent Valentine alone."

"Why?" Yuffie asked, feeling her gut clench in worry. Tifa didn't usually beat around the bush so much.

"He once worked for Shinra, during his teenage years, Yuffs. His files had been black-tagged as highly top secret. Vincent Valentine used to be a Turk."

_Shit. _That meant that Vincent had been a killer once upon a time. Not many knew the true function of a Turk, but her father had always watched out for Shinra and he had told Yuffie all about the company and what they had done back in the day. Turks had been used as assassins, bodyguards, and had carried out all of the dirtiest deeds the old president Shinra had wanted. Things had changed with Rufus, but sometimes there was no erasing your past. Yuffie sighed. Things just kept getting better and better. She shouldn't have messed with the guy in the first place. Now she was on a date with an ex-hit-man and she didn't know if she could get out of it. _Goodbye cruel word_, she thought before walking back to her _date_, a small, wry smirk on her face.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

The continuation of the date will be in the next chapter, so patience my friends. So I've decided to keep up with the ZackTifaCloud triangle for a few chapters. As of right now, the votes are still tied. So please be specific! I promise this is the last chapter I'll pester you all about it, and then I'll zip my lips--or my fingers--if that makes any sense. Anyway, we've made a little progress but the action comes in the next chapter. The plot unfolds much more, and I think you'll all be shocked. Also, I know I said there would be more stealing here, but it was moved to the next chapter for secret purposes, hehe.

I really want to thank those of you who reviewed, thank you so much, and hopefully you all enjoyed? I went back and corrected a few things in the last chapter, including where I wrote that Vince was wearing a red suit? The cloak suits him in that color, but an all red suit? I don't think so. That was my mistake and I laughed for a couple of minutes when I reread it. So thanks for reading and remember that commenting makes me write faster! I'll see you all around and I'll try to update by next week.

Joey


	4. Trapped

Just one thing before you read. I realized that in the last chapter I wrote Yuffie and Aerith talking as strangers would, and I realized that Yuffie was supposed to already know her. I didn't change much of their conversation, so it doesn't matter if you re-read it or not, but I went back and made them a little friendlier towards each other. Sorry about the inconsistency there, but at least I caught it in time! Also, I will be using a bit from the movie, "Ocean's Eleven," here, so I won't take credit for that idea. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of the characters used in this piece of fiction. I am making no money off of them. Also, the idea of "the pinch" was borrowed from, "Ocean's Eleven," which I also don't own.

……………………………………

**Trapped**

……………………………………

As she grudgingly made her way back into the main section of the restaurant, Yuffie considered her options. One was to fake a stomach ache and faint or something just as ridiculous in order to get out of continuing the date with Mr. I-know-thirty-different-ways-to-kill-you-with-a-spoon. She usually didn't shy away from dangerous situations, so this shouldn't have been the exception. She was Yuffie Kisaragi, princess of thieves, or so various other thieves had called her. Her identity to this day had not been revealed, even to fellow thieves, but her accomplishments were widely known and she had come to steal various objects no one had been able to steal ever before.

Too bad she sometimes had a habit of forgetting about her surroundings. As she rounded the corner, she ran right into a waiter with so much force, that she fell back and the man dropped his tray. To make her night worse, the thing slammed right onto her head and she fell backwards, groaning and holding her head.

"Miss? Geez, Miss are you okay? I'm sorry! Please be okay?" The man said quickly in fear that he had injured her _and _that it would cost him his job.

Yuffie touched the spot on her forehead and looked at it, coming back with a little bit of blood. "Shit, thank you very much. You've just turned me into a very human piggy-bank," she said with a grin. "Just help me up and we're even."

"I'm sorry Miss, this is my fault. I wasn't watching were I was going and I think I broke your head," he said, helping her to her feet.

Suddenly the manager of the place and Vincent were there and Yuffie realized that maybe she wouldn't have to lie about being sick. Her head was hurting at the moment. "I'm fine," she said, swatting at Vincent's hand when he tried to look at her wound.

"Just let me look at it," Vincent said impatiently.

"Miss, on behalf of this oaf and the restaurant, I offer you my sincerest apologies. Nothing like this has ever happened before," the manager said a little nervously.

Yuffie just smirked and shook her head. "I'm fine. I've had worse injuries than this," she said dismissively. "Just one thing… promise me that you will not fire this guy. It was my fault for not watching where I was going. But if you do fire him, I'll buy this place and fire _you_," she threatened.

The manager blanched a little, having recognized her and who her father was because of the magazines his wife read religiously. If the girl said she would buy the place, well, he surmised that she would be able to do it. He nodded and offered a small smile. "Please, come with me so that we can tend to your wound; it's the least we can do."

Yuffie nodded, but Vincent stepped in and placed a hand on her lower back. "Just bring the necessary items. I will tend to her," he said as they were taken to a back room where there was an empty employee lounge. Vincent made Yuffie sit on the table and pushed her hair away from the small cut right above her left eyebrow.

She watched him suspiciously and tried not to bring up what Tifa had told her about him. Could a former killer really rise above his past? "How does it look?" she asked, her eyes nearly crossing at how close he was to her. From that position, she could watch his eyes and catch the golden specks in the crimson. His eyebrows were far too perfect to be natural, and his skin was terribly smooth. Geez, he was more of a girl than she was. Yuffie smirked.

"It's not too bad. I don't think it will scar," he said. Vincent watched her for a moment before his eyes darted back to her wound. It wasn't too deep and with a little care it wouldn't scar, all he needed was some alcohol and a band-aid. The manager walked in and apologized once more before telling them that if they decided to stay, dinner would be on the house. Once he was gone, Vincent busied himself with cleaning Yuffie's wound, and trying to ignore how soft her hair was as he held her head firm when she squirmed in pain. "Hold still," he muttered, cleaning around the cut.

Yuffie's eyes narrowed and she glared at his forehead. "It kinda hurts, you know," she said sarcastically.

Vincent nodded. "I'd be worried if it _didn't_ hurt," he replied. He threw the swab and gauze away before slipping the band-aid gently over her forehead. He pressed a kiss over it for good measure, and Yuffie hid a smile. "All better?"

Yuffie nodded and thanked him. "My head hurts a little, but it'll go away with a painkiller once I get home," she said, standing from the table and looking up at Vincent a little shyly.

"Maybe I should just take you home. We can leave our dinner for some other night," he said softly, walking her out.

Yuffie nodded. "I think that would a good idea," she agreed as they began to walk out.

The manager approached them anxiously. "Miss… once more—"

"Please don't apologize. And remember your promise of not firing that guy. I take full responsibility for the accident. I'm just thankful he wasn't carrying any food or drinks," she said with a wink.

"Please, allow me to at least get you something to take home," he said.

Yuffie smiled and nodded, ignoring Vincent's sigh. "Okay, we'll wait by the front door," she said, watching as the manager let out a sigh of relief and nearly ran off. She turned to Vincent and shrugged. "It can't hurt to wait a little more. Besides, I feel bad for them. He's so… jumpy," she muttered.

Vincent just smirked. "Do you want me to bring you back here next time we go out?"

She scoffed. "I wouldn't mind coming back some other day, maybe for lunch with Tifa. _You _have to take me somewhere else. Maybe somewhere more creative and some place that _you_ thought of," she replied.

He thought about it for a moment and then nodded. "Fine, but I hope I don't hear any complaints afterward."

"Are you hearing any complaints now?" Yuffie asked smartly.

"We didn't even get to talk about anything, much less have dinner," Vincent said.

"True," Yuffie accepted. Ha, this was the calmest form of flirtation that she had ever experienced, and though she could feel the attraction, she could also feel the undercurrent of apprehension there. On both their parts. "Godo is going to have a seizure."

"Why is that?"

"Because we're going out again. He has a strange mind that conjures up imaginary scenarios. I'm telling you, next time you see him he'll probably hint about you asking for my hand in marriage or some foolishness like that," Yuffie said, rolling her eyes.

The manager came over and kept apologizing as he handed them some Styrofoam boxes with their hot food. Then they were on their way to Godo's home and the drive was a quiet one as Yuffie watched the lights of the city pass them by. All in all, the night hadn't been a total bust. She was a little apprehensive about hanging with him still, but she had always been a master at procrastinating in her teenage years, and she hadn't forgotten how to do it now. She would just keep telling Vincent that she was busy once he tried to ask her out again.

As he pulled up in front of Godo's mansion, Yuffie stepped out and watched Vincent as he followed her. They stood in front of the door for a few minutes until she smiled and looked up at him. "Thank you… for fixing my head."

Vincent pondered that her words were an impossible feat, since she'd been a thief for a couple of years now, judging by Zack's words. _No one_ would be able to fix her head, unless it was a shrink. He just smiled slightly and nodded, taking her hand in his and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "It's a shame we didn't get to know each other better," he murmured.

Yuffie nodded and slipped her hand out of his so that she could unlock the door of her father's house. Before she lost her nerve, she darted to him and stood on the tips of her toes to press a kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you around, Vince," she said before shutting the door, a small smile on her face.

Vincent stood there for another moment and then sighed and walked back to his car before driving off. No woman had ever called him by a nickname—mostly because he didn't allow them to—but it seemed that Yuffie had found his soft spot and she could get away with anything no woman had ever gotten away with before. Hmm, now that he new her even a little, he realized that having her wouldn't be too much of a sacrifice. His plan would be put into effect very soon.

…………

"These are good," Tifa said as she munched on some noodles and a juicy piece of chicken that had been provided by the restaurant.

Yuffie just made a vague noise and kept looking through Valentine's file, eyes widening every few paragraphs. The man had been responsible for quite a few assassinations, though the names of the victims weren't listed. All they were called were numbers and strange codenames. His first had been at the age of sixteen, and he had made a name for himself from then on among his fellow Turks. He was an expert gunman, specializing in rifles and sniper guns, and aside from that, he was very well trained in hand-to-hand combat. "You think he'll try to kill me if he finds out that I'm the one who stole from him?" she asked Tifa.

Tifa sat up and shrugged one shoulder. "I don't know, but he'll do _something_. Yuffie, you're my best friend. We're supposed to die together once we're too old to steal. I don't want to wake up and find you in a ditch because you messed with the wrong person. Maybe Cloud is right and we need to leave this guy alone," she said seriously.

Yuffie closed her lap-top, having read enough for the night and still not halfway done, before turning to her cousin. "Tifa, we're gonna eventually get married with some hot guys and we'll have kids and all that crap Godo wants us to have before he kicks the bucket, as he says. We can't steal forever. What if you end marrying either Cloud or Zack?"

Tifa sighed. "Cloud and I are never going to get together that way. Might as well give Zack a chance at trying to get me to fall in love with him. Still… you want us to proceed with the heist?" she asked.

The ninja sat back in her favorite chair and looked at the various weapons on the wall of the living room. She knew how to use each and every one of them, including the sais and the katanas, though her weapons of preference were the throwing stars and her shuriken. Tifa had that kind of training as well, but she preferred to use her fists, since it felt much easier for her. Yuffie contemplated each weapon before replying. "I'll take Valentine, during the night and when everyone is gone. I'll need you to stay on the roof, hooked into the system in case something goes wrong or I trip some type of wire."

Tifa nodded. "I'll take Tuesti then. I bribed someone on the inside and I know when he'll be out of his office. I'll take it then. It's been a while since I've gone in myself, but since it's going to be during the day, I think it's best for me to go."

Yuffie nodded and stood to place her computer to charge for the night. "I'll let Cloud know that he needs to have the chopper ready. We'll take Tuesti and Valentine on the same day," she said with confidence.

Tifa just kept eating and hoped that everything went to their favor. So far, all of their robberies had been perfect, but there was something nagging at her, making her feel apprehensive about both heists. She didn't want to jinx it, so she kept her thoughts to herself, but messing with Valentine once more didn't seem like the best idea.

………

Tifa sighed to herself and added a swagger to her walk as she entered Reeve Tuesti's building. In the professional business suit with the miniskirt, she knew she looked good. Her hair was a long red wig and behind her red framed glasses, her eyes were a vibrant green. She sweet talked her way into a security pass without showing her ID, and rode the elevator with various businessmen surrounding her. She ignored them all, even when they tried to talk to her and stepped off on Reeve's floor.

The secretary greeted her with a polite smile and Tifa returned it. She added a slight accent to her voice. "Hello, I'm here to set up for Mr. Tuesti's after-lunch meeting. I was to be allowed the conference room?" Tifa said sweetly.

The woman nodded and led her towards the conference room, which Tifa and Yuffie had noted connected to Reeve's office. "Here you go. We have a projector back there, and a computer can be provided in case you need it."

Tifa nodded and smiled. "Thank you, dear. I can take care of myself from here," she said, watching as the woman walked out and closed the door behind her. "I'm in," Tifa said in her normal voice, taking a look at the camera in the far corner, right in her face.

"Video has been hacked from the moment you stepped in. To them it looks like there's no one in the conference room. You have ten minutes to get this done before the real business person arrives to set up for the conference," Cloud's voice said into her ear-piece.

"Roger," Tifa whispered, removing some picks from inside her coat, undetectable because they weren't made of metal. Then she went for Reeve's door and picked the lock in record time, her hands inside of the leather gloves a little sweaty. She was so out of practice. "Can you scan the office now?" she asked, making sure her frames took in the entire office without her stepping in just yet.

"It's being done," Yuffie said this time. "You'll have to proceed with plan A. Once you knock out the electricity, it will affect three floors above and bellow you. You'll only have two minutes to get the painting before the back-up system activates and the painting's silent trip wire goes off if you're touching it."

Tifa nodded to herself and removed her lipstick from her purse. Inside was something known as a "mini-pinch," which when pressed would knock out the electricity of seven floors of the building. "Ready?" she murmured.

"Yes," came the two replies at the same time.

Sending a small prayer to whoever would listen at the moment, Tifa opened the lipstick at the center and pressed the button there, watching as the lights, the computer and everything else electronic shut off. She grabbed the painting from the wall and quickly removed it from its frame, breath a little quick as she carefully grabbed the thin canvas and set it aside. "How are we?" she asked.

"You have one minute to place the frame back, Black Rabbit," Yuffie's voice said calmly.

"Shit, shit," Cloud started. "Hurry up and put the frame back. The back-up system is booting far more quickly than we had anticipated. Get out of there Tifa. Now."

Tifa put the frame up, but it kept slipping. She let out a sigh and grabbed the painting before jogging out of the office and shutting the door. Just as the lock clicked, the lights came on, and as she was placing the painting inside the large portfolio she had been carrying, the secretary stepped into the room.

"Are you okay in here?" she asked.

Tifa nodded and let out a salty smile. "I'm fine, though the projector shut off on me just when I was trying to get it to focus," she said with an easy smile. "If you don't mind, I am going to step out to get some coffee, and I will be right back. Would you like something to drink?"

"Oh, no thank you. Just remember that the meeting is in half-an-hour," the woman said before going back to her desk.

Tifa let out a small sigh, but wouldn't relax until she was at least a mile away from the building. Grabbing her things, she made her way out of the conference room and headed towards the elevator. As the doors opened, she nearly fell on her face when she almost ran into none other than Reeve. Their eyes met for a moment, and he offered her a polite smile as he held the doors for her. She cursed inwardly and realized that he would alert security before she was out of the building. As the elevator doors closed, she panicked since she was alone. "Reeve is here. He'll close off the building once his secretary tells him I just left and he notices his painting is missing," she said quickly.

"Just keep calm and get to the ground floor. We'll see how things are there," Yuffie replied.

Tifa tried to relax and realized that she was still clutching her lipstick. Once she was out of the elevator, she walked as quickly as she could in her high-heels and exited the building just as security was alerted to not let anyone out or in; she actually heard the order being given through a radio. She took the steps quickly and placed her lipstick into her bag.

"Miss?"

Tifa ignored the voice and kept walking as calmly as she could. "Hey lady! Stop right there!"

She didn't stop. Instead she quickened her pace, but not enough to look like she was running. An arm grabbed hers and stopped her as she almost crossed the street. She turned, expecting to see security or police officers, but she came face to face with two men in black suits. One had spiky red hair, a flirty smile and blue-green eyes, while the other was tall, bald, and serious, eyes hidden behind dark shades.

"Are you deaf or what, babe?" asked the red-head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think you were talking to me, honey," Tifa said in her accent.

"You dropped this," the bald one murmured, handing over her lipstick.

Tifa nearly sighed in relief and smiled easily. "Why, thank you for bringing it back to me. I appreciate it. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find this shade?" she asked with a grin.

"Yeah. Rude is always complaining about not finding something that goes with his skin tone," red-hair replied.

"Thank you both then, but I must get going," she said, turning on her heel and slowly walking away, feeling their eyes on her as she walked down the block and turned the corner.

Tifa nearly passed out when she got into a dark SUV, which had been recently bought for robbery purposes and had tinted windows and no plates. They couldn't risk using their own cars anymore for fear of recognition if they went on a heist during the day. Yuffie patted her shoulder and grinned. "I don't think stealing during the day is very fun," Tifa muttered, pealing off the wig and taking off the glasses.

"But you did a great job and you worked great under pressure. What was the hold up?" Yuffie asked as Cloud began to drive.

"I dropped the pinch and some guys were trying to return it to me. They stopped me and handed it back. I think they were the men we saw with Shinra at the meeting," Tifa replied.

"Well, you did an awesome job," Yuffie complimented. Tifa smiled and her eyes met Cloud's through the rearview mirror. He winked at her and she nodded, letting her head fall back against the seat as she relaxed.

………………

"My turn," Yuffie whispered as she and Tifa slid down a rope from the helicopter Cloud was holding steady right above Vincent's building at the moment. The two girls dropped onto the roof and Tifa quickly fried the lock and the protective shield surrounding the box that held the building's wires.

"I'm in the system. The office has floor sensors activated, and every floor has two guards. You'll have to take them out before anything else. You just have to be quick and brutal because these guys are trained almost to the point of being Turks themselves," Tifa whispered as Yuffie took care to tie a rope tightly before throwing it down a ventilation shaft that she had just removed. "Ready White Rabbit?"

"Yeah," Yuffie replied before crawling into the shaft. "I'll give you the okay once the guards are down," she said before sliding down quickly. She reached the top of the elevator, which was on the floor of Vincent's office and opened the hatch at the top before slipping in and opening the doors of the elevator. She cursed when it let out a ding and she stepped out onto the floor, slipping a blade under one door to keep them open. "Location of the guards, Black Rabbit?"

"I think they heard the sound of the elevator. They're closing in on your location," Tifa said, watching them through the cameras she had hacked with her computer.

Yuffie crouched low and hid in the shadows as a guard rounded the corner with a flashlight. She brought her leg out and swept his from right under him before sending a fist into his face. The man stood and she punched again before kicking him right in the side of the head, watching as he went down for the count. To be sure that he was out, she brought out the spray she had used on Zack days ago and noticed the guard slump heavily onto the ground. The next guard took her by surprise and rammed her against the wall, but Yuffie took him down the way only a girl would. She kneed him in the groin and quickly sprayed him too, making sure he was out before she ran towards Vincent's office. "That was such a girl thing to do," Tifa whispered in her earpiece.

Yuffie just grinned behind her mask and approached the door. "Does the door-handle have any sensors?" she asked.

Tifa sighed. "Yeah. But if you use the pinch again, you'll bring down our computers. Mine too and I won't be able to tell you if it's rebooting. Not to mention that you'll probably fry the chopper and Cloud will plunge to his death."

"I don't like the sound of that," Cloud muttered. "Try disabling the system manually," he said to Tifa.

Tifa typed quickly and nodded to herself. "I'll need a few minutes before you can get in there. Just sit tight and don't touch anything."

Yuffie sighed to herself and pushed up her mask so that she could breathe freely while she waited. Just as she was about to start complaining, Tifa gave her the okay and Yuffie picked the lock to the office before going in. She checked her surroundings quickly and then ran towards the painting, which was sitting on the wall opposite Valentine's desk. "Scan the painting," she said quietly.

"Trip wires on the back. What's with all these people having trip wires and stuff? Did they go to the same company for security? If it were me, I would integrate sensors into the frame _and _the glass that run on their own little generator," Tifa grumbled.

Yuffie smirked. "Not everyone is a genius like you, Ms. Brain," she replied, bringing out her mini-computer to scan and make sure where the wires were. With a small blade, she slid it behind the frame and carefully cut through the wires. "Is it down?"

"Yeah. Get it and let's go," Tifa replied.

The ninja removed the frame, but didn't take the care Tifa had to replace the frame after removing the painting. Once it was safe in the tube on her back, she left the frame on Vincent's desk, noting that he had an image of himself sitting on a shelf by the door. Swiping it smoothly, she slipped it into her bag and slid her mask down as she poked her head out the door and into the hall. When she was confident that the coast was clear, she darted to the elevator and removed her blade, just as the doors were closing, she heard the other guards trying to contact the ones that were out. Yuffie grinned and crawled up the open hatch on the elevator's ceiling. She then closed it and had a brief moment to grab onto the rope before the elevator began to move from under her and down. "What's up with all the close calls?" Yuffie asked as she began to climb up.

"Just hurry and get up here. I have guard movement from other floors and it won't be long before they find the two that are passed out," Tifa said. She helped Yuffie as she climbed up the shaft and both began to pull the rope out. Cloud lowered the chopper and Tifa grabbed her computer before they got in and sped off.

"That was too easy," Tifa said quietly, removing her mask and her earpiece.

"Relax, won't you?" Yuffie asked, pulling off hers as well. "What's the worse that can happen?"

……………………

The following morning, Yuffie awoke with a smile on her face and a jump to her step. She showered, ate cereal for breakfast and dressed for a day to lazy around and take a break. Cloud noticed her cheery mood from where he was examining some blueprints and sat back. "I need to get some new parts for the chopper. I'm taking her to Cid, so we won't be able to use her for about two, maybe three, weeks. Depending on how fast he can get the parts without calling attention to himself or to us," he said.

Yuffie nodded and peeled an orange next. "Did the client transfer the gil?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Paintings were delivered right after we got confirmation that the money was where we wanted it."

"Where's Tifa?" Yuffie asked, watching him carefully.

"She's having breakfast with that guy. Said she would be back by lunch," Cloud said in a monotone.

Yuffie was about to start badgering him when something started to, "Wark, Wark. Wark, Wark." She grinned and noticed Cloud's annoyed expression. "New ring tone I'm trying," she replied as she answered it. "Yeah?"

"Yuffie?"

"_Yeah?_ Who's this?" she asked, frowning.

"Vincent Valentine," said the deep voice from the other side.

Yuffie grinned and walked into her room so that Cloud didn't decide to eavesdrop. "How can I help you?"

"I was wondering if you would join me for lunch today," he said smoothly.

She was in such a good mood that she didn't want to tell him no. Yuffie nodded and realized that he couldn't see her. "Yeah, that would be good. Should we meet somewhere?"

"Would you mind coming to my office? We can go from here," he replied.

Yuffie felt a tingle go down her spine in warning, but she couldn't back away. Alarms were going off in her head, but so far no police had come running to arrest her or Tifa. "Okay. I'll be there at around twelve. Is that good for you?"

"Of course," he replied. "I will see you then."

Yuffie closed her phone and bit her lip in thought. She walked back out into the living room and noticed that Cloud was muttering to himself as he read over the blueprints once more. "Was there anything on the news regarding the robberies?"

Cloud shook his head. "No. Neither one. They must be keeping things under wraps again. You should have your Will ready," he said with a smirk.

"You should too, idiot," Yuffie muttered. "Remember that we're all guilty here."

"I just meant that it was _your_ idea to keep picking on this Valentine person. Just don't be surprised if he breaks your knees or some shit like that," Cloud replied.

"That won't happen unless you tell him that _we_ stole from him. Planning on snitching any time soon?" she asked him in annoyance.

Cloud gave her a cool look. "You know I won't."

"Then shut up and stop being paranoid," she said before grabbing her keys and walking towards the door. "Tell Teef I won't be here for lunch. I'm going to get a little training done," she said before she was out the door.

Cloud shrugged to himself and kept looking through his blueprints.

…………………

Vincent leaned back against his chair and his eyes narrowed as he looked at the empty wall in front of him. It had taken him years to get that painting, and there was someone in the city going around stealing from Midgar's richest and ruthless. His eyes shifted to his lap-top and he gazed at an image of Yuffie when she had been about nine. Behind the bright eyes, and the sweet smile, there had been one of the greatest thieves ever known in the making.

A year after Yuffie's mother had died, she had begun her impressive stealing career. Her first crime had been breaking into various lockers and taking one item from each of her schoolmates. All in one night; she had been placed on probation in the boarding school after that. Three years later, she had stolen the tests for their finals—which consisted of six different tests, for six different teachers—and had gotten expelled from school. Godo had moved her to a different school, where she and Tifa attended together, and had later met their blond friend. In that school, there had been suspicions of Yuffie breaking into classrooms and stealing microscopes and various other pricey school supplies, but there had been no proof of that, and she had remained at the school until graduating a year early.

Though she hadn't gotten into trouble at the school anymore, outside had been an entirely different matter. She had stolen a car from her neighbors at age fourteen, had broken through a museum security system at fifteen to steal a golden Fabergé egg—which had reappeared a day later—and she had hacked into government files the same year, getting past various top-secret servers before she had been caught. Godo had obviously bribed greatly in order for his daughter not to be sent to prison for that last one. After that, nothing else was on her file, and Vincent had a feeling that Yuffie had become a master thief that had not been caught to this day. She was a very accomplished thief and he had proof of it.

There was a knock at his door, and Aerith showed Yuffie in before shutting the door. Vincent stood and walked over to look at Yuffie as she nearly glowed in happiness. Well, she'd most likely lose all color, but his plans would not be halted, especially now that he had all that he needed to keep her subdued and in his hands. "Having a good day?" he asked her.

Yuffie nodded and took a seat in one of his chairs. "Are you ready to go?" she asked.

"I am," he conceded. "But first, there is something I need to show you," Vincent said, moving towards his computer and shutting down her file before opening a video file. He carried the computer over and set it in front of her. "I discovered something yesterday," he said calmly, watching Yuffie's hands twitch when the video came on and showed her removing the painting right off of the wall.

Yuffie blinked with wide eyes and remained silent, cursing herself inwardly for ever pulling up her mask. She had done it twice before, but she had been certain that everything was safe and that there was no risk of anyone catching sight of her face in front of where she had removed the painting from. She should've known better with Valentine though. "That's not me," she lied right out.

Vincent smirked and watched her carefully. "That's… very interesting. You must have a twin out there then."

"Why haven't you given it to the cops yet?" Yuffie asked, putting the computer on the desk and standing to her full, unimpressive height.

"Because I have no interest in seeing you in prison. Unless… you do as I say," Vincent said calmly, watching her as she watched the door. "If you run out of here, I will take it to the police," he said, realizing her intentions.

"You are a piece of shit Valentine," Yuffie said in disgust, anger overriding fear. "What's the matter, do you need to blackmail a girl into getting laid? I rather go to prison before I bend for you." They both caught the innuendo in her words, and Vincent smirked while Yuffie scowled.

"No… what I want is something only slightly more… serious than to just screw you. Besides, I don't need to blackmail a woman into sleeping with me. I have various acquaintances that would do it willingly and without complaint," Vincent said coolly, crimson gaze directly on her soft brown one.

"_What_ do you want then?" Yuffie asked as she started to pace.

"Hmm… I thought you would never ask," he said calmly. "Have a seat and listen," he said, his tone one of authority and danger if she refused. Yuffie sat down with a huff and listened.

………………

"You look beautiful, but what's the deal? You've been acting weird for the last few days. I thought we told each other everything," Tifa whispered as she, Yuffie, Cloud, and Godo walked into a fancy _high-collared _restaurant. Yuffie was in a dark blue gown that reached her knees and accentuated the tone of her skin, and with it she was wearing sparkly slip on heels that would make a very nice weapon if needed. Tifa herself looked beautiful in a dress of similar design, but in pale green and with remarkable differences, including the bare back.

Godo and Vincent had organized it for their business associates before some of them left on various business trips around the continent. They really were trying to take over the world. Yuffie let out a heavy sigh and pushed down the anxiousness bubbling from her stomach. "_Leviathan,_ Teef, I can't tell you anything now. But when the night is over, we will have plenty to talk about. Just not here, okay?" Yuffie pleaded as they walked behind Godo and Cloud.

Tifa nodded and tried not to frown as they were seated at a long table where Vincent, Rufus Shinra, Genesis, Reeve, and Zack already were. Yuffie's eyes met Vincent's and she refrained from grabbing a knife and hurling it at his forehead when his eyes darted to the seat next to his. She sat down to his left, and Tifa sat next to Zack, since he had taken the seat to Vincent's left. Godo sat next to Yuffie and Cloud sat on the other side of Tifa.

Vincent looked around at the table and smirked pleasantly when he noted Yuffie refraining from glaring at him. All had gone as planned and he felt no guilt whatsoever. Guilt had been something he hadn't felt since he had joined the Turks and had taken care of his first victim. He let Yuffie stew in her nerves and her anger all throughout dinner, and once the table was clean and dessert was served, he decided it was time to break the news to everyone. "I want to thank you all for coming tonight," Vincent started, catching everyone's attention and noting how Yuffie stiffened at the sound of his voice. "But aside from wishing those of you who are leaving tomorrow good luck, there is an announcement that I would like to share with you all, though mostly with Godo, and with Yuffie's family," he said, his lip lifting in a half smile when he reached for Yuffie's hand.

Yuffie's eyes met Tifa's and her cousin gave her a questioning look, eyes darting between her and Vincent. Yuffie merely lowered her eyes and shook her head slightly, hoping that her message carried across and that Tifa didn't cause some sort of scene. The both of them were alike in that respect. They both loved drama, and allowed _no one_ to take them down. Not until now.

"Yuffie and I… are engaged, and we will marry _very_ soon," Vincent finished, eyes taking in all the surprised faces around the table.

Godo looked from him to Yuffie and couldn't contain his smile as he hugged Yuffie's stiff shoulders. "Is this true daughter? How could you not tell me!?" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, well it was a surprise," Yuffie said dryly, trying to ignore Tifa and Cloud's gazes. "For me too," she muttered under her breath.

"Where's the ring?" Tifa asked above the various voices congratulating them.

Yuffie's eyes met hers. "I forgot it at home," she replied, a little flatly.

Vincent noted the challenge between the two women and hummed slightly when Zack gave him a look. "She's been so excited that she forgot all her jewelry once more," he said, watching Yuffie's cheeks color in anger.

"Well, you have no idea how happy this makes me, daughter. I always wanted you to end up with a good man. Valentine, I do hope you take good care of her," Godo said, lifting his wine for a toast.

Yuffie stood abruptly and excused herself before walking off towards the ladies room. That bastard. He had been completely enjoying making her life miserable—though Yuffie was ignoring the fact that she had stolen from him twice and without remorse—and to make matters worse, he was rubbing it in her face that he had won. She had messed with him, and lost the war that she had thought had been over. Now she would marry Valentine in exchange for not going to prison, and she didn't even know why it was so important for her to become his wife. After fuming in the ladies room and ignoring the woman handing out towels, Yuffie stepped out and found herself being pulled towards a side door and out into the garden of the restaurant.

"I expect you to act the part the way we agreed," Vincent said calmly.

Yuffie glared at him openly and really thought about using her heels as weapons. "Don't fuck with me, Valentine. I'm doing my best and so far Godo has believed it."

"But your cousin and friend haven't," said Vincent. "I told you that you either do as I say, or you go to prison for the rest of your life. They must've found something at the crime scenes that will tie you there, and I will hand over the tape and tell them that you were the one who stole from my home, my office, and Reeve Tuesti's office. There must be other places, like the robbery on a penthouse a few weeks back, but I'm not entirely sure it was you. Besides, I have your original file," he taunted.

"Why is it so important for me to marry you? Why can't you get someone else to do it?" Yuffie growled out, pacing like a caged animal.

"I want _you_ to be my wife. My reasons are my own and you need not worry about them," he said, closing the distance between them.

Before Yuffie had a chance to reply, his lips were on hers, hot and searching and absolutely addicting—though she would admit that to no one. Even with him being taller, she found the chance to wedge her arm between them and shoved him away. Then before _Vincent _knew it, her fist had made contact with his nose, making his head snap to the side forcefully. "Hmm, it felt as good as I thought it would," she said, rubbing her knuckles. "Don't _ever_ touch me without my permission, understand?" she asked before walking away from him with her head held high. Just because he had her trapped with his blackmail didn't mean that she would go down without a fight. He had messed with the wrong ninja and she would make his life miserable. She needed to find a way to get out of the predicament she was in now, but… at the moment she had no idea _how_ that would happen.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Wooh! That was a long chapter. I hope it wasn't too boring though. Now, what is Vincent up to and will Yuffie find a way to get out of her problem before she's forced to marry our evil Turk? You weren't expecting _that_ were you? Still, I'm very much enjoying where this is going, and I've gotten a hang of how this story will go and end. Haven't exactly decided the ending yet, but I'm close. Once more, thank you all for your reviews, it makes me a very happy author when I read what you think about the story so far, so thanks a bunch. I will try my very best to update soon, so sit tight everyone!

Joey


	5. Rumors

……………………………………

**Rumors**

……………………………………

"How could you not tell me!?"

Cloud cleared his throat.

"How could you not tell _us_!?" Tifa amended as she paced their living room, and the blond just leaned back against the breakfast table.

Yuffie sighed. "I couldn't. He made me swear on my own life in prison that I wouldn't tell anyone. As it is now, he'll turn us in to the police if he finds out that I told you two the truth, but I just couldn't hide this from you any longer," she said with a heavy sigh, her eyes watering a little.

"Stop being a big baby," Tifa nearly growled. Yuffie looked at her with wide eyes. "We need to find a way to get you out of this. We come from a long line of Kisaragi's, Yuffie, though we may have different last names. We're fighters and we don't give up without a fight."

Yuffie nodded and let out a sigh. "Then I need some help. I can't think of any way to get out of this. My brain has been on overtime and I just… can't," she said quietly. "He got me good and I know I should've listened to you both when you told me to leave him alone, but… but…"

Cloud moved over to pat her on the back and sighed. "You know that I would take the blame for it all if I could," he said quietly.

Tifa smiled inwardly. Both she and Yuffie knew him enough to realize he was being honest when he said that. Yuffie put her face in her hands. "Yeah, if I hadn't been stupid enough to remove my mask, we wouldn't be in this situation. He had some type of video camera not hooked into the system that was recording me from the moment I stepped into his office. What if we can't find a way to get me out of this?"

"Then you'll soon be Mrs. Valentine whether you want to or not," Cloud stated.

Yuffie cringed and stood from her armchair. "We'll think of something tomorrow. Right now my brain needs a little bit of rest," she muttered, grabbing her high heels and walking towards her room.

Tifa watched her go with a frown and then turned to look at Cloud, who was staring into space. "Any ideas on how we can help her?"

"We can try stealing the recording Valentine has, but I doubt he hasn't made any copies. He's smart, and I bet it's the first thing he did once he had the video," Cloud said quietly.

The brunette sighed and ran a hand through her hair tiredly. Only an hour before the dinner had finally been over and Yuffie hadn't waited long to get out of the restaurant. Godo had been ecstatic, and Valentine had been mysteriously smug, even after he claimed that someone had smacked a door in his face while he had been in the _restroom_. Yuffie had then clarified to her and to Cloud that the red swelling of his nose had been a result of her fist meeting his face when he had tried to get fresh with her.

Cloud was watching her quietly, noting how she was lost in her thoughts. He couldn't deny that Tifa had looked beautiful in that dress, but he had to keep his thoughts to himself. Not because he thought Tifa was too good for him—though she was—but because he had a girlfriend and he _needed_ to respect Aerith. She had always been a good girlfriend, even though they had broken up more than a fistful of times in the past years. She was a good woman and a great girlfriend, and now Tifa had found someone else in her life. He couldn't disrupt either of their lives by allowing his feelings for Tifa to grow any stronger.

Tifa looked up just in time to catch his gaze on her. Her eyebrows lifted in question. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she whispered.

Cloud blinked and broke out of his thoughts, letting out a heavy sigh. "No reason. You should get to sleep too. We'll think of some way to help Yuffie tomorrow," he said before walking into his room.

Tifa frowned to herself and watched him go. For a moment there, the look in his eyes had reflected… longing? That couldn't be. She and Cloud had never really tested the waters for any type of relationship besides friendship. So feeling only a little confused, she walked into her bedroom and shut the door. There was no use dwelling in what could've been but never would be.

……………

The following morning, Cloud jerked awake to the sound of the doorbell. He groaned to himself and scowled when he saw just how early it was. Since it didn't seem like Tifa or Yuffie had heard, he got up and trudged his way towards the door. When he opened it, he came face to face with the last person he wanted to see early in the morning. "What are you doing here so early?" he snapped, rubbing a hand over his face in an effort to wake up more.

Zack ignored his words and just grinned. "I have a special delivery for Yuffie, as you can see," he said, motioning his head towards the large arrangement of flowers in his arms. "Mind letting me in? This thing isn't exactly light."

Cloud shrugged and opened the door wider. Just as Zack stepped in and set the vase at the breakfast table, Tifa walked out of her bedroom, freshly showered and smelling like something heavenly sweet. She smiled at Zack and Cloud had to look away when they greeted each other with a small peck on the lips.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I have some things for Yuffie, on Vincent's behalf," he said.

"Why didn't he just have a messenger bring the stuff?" Cloud asked as he walked over to make some coffee.

"_Grouchy in the mornings," _Tifa mouthed to Zack at his questioning look.

Zack just grinned. "Vincent asked for a personal favor and he asked me to bring these things to Yuffie. Besides, I couldn't pass up the chance of seeing Tifa sooner than I thought," he said, winking at her.

Tifa's smile was sickly sweet that Cloud nearly gagged. Not because her smile made him sick—on the contrary, her smile was featured in many of his dreams—but because she had fallen for such a corny line. Before he could make a fool of himself, though, Yuffie walked out of her room, looking very much half-asleep and with very interesting bed hair. "What's with all the noise?" she grumbled, snatching Cloud's coffee right before it touched his mouth.

"Zack brings some stuff from Vincent," Tifa replied, motioning towards the beautiful arrangement of flowers.

"Why didn't he bring them himself?" she asked sarcastically.

Zack shrugged and pulled a package from his pocket before handing it over. Yuffie looked at it for a moment and then opened the white, silver-lined box with the name of a very expensive jewelry store printed on top. Inside was a velvet box that she opened too, and her eyes were as round as saucers at what was inside. Tifa walked over to get a glimpse and she gasped. "Ah, there's a note inside. He said that you needed to read it," Zack put in.

Yuffie handed the engagement ring to Tifa as she opened the note to find neat script inside, nothing like the messages she had seen in his wallet. The note read: _So that you don't forget your ring at home anymore. I do hope you weren't expecting me getting on one knee and proposing in front of your friends and family? Putting that aside, we will have dinner with your father on Saturday, I expect you to be there and on time. Sincerely, Vincent._

"This guy is such an asshole," she muttered before turning to Zack. "You know all about what he's doing, don't you?" Yuffie asked him.

Zack shrugged. "I give him advice, but in the end he's the boss. I just stay out as much as I can," he replied. Yuffie looked down at the obscenely expensive ring—because being a thief came with the knowledge of recognizing how much certain things were worth and if they were made of true diamonds or other stones—and she wondered just how much she would be able to pawn it for. Vincent's right hand man gave her a look. "He also said that he wants to see that ring on your hand every time you go out in public. Otherwise it will be a violation of your deal."

Yuffie wondered if Vincent and Zack had automatically assumed that she would tell Cloud and Tifa about what was going on, since the tall man was talking about it as if the object of his affection and their roommate weren't in the room. "Fine," she snapped. "Just tell him that next time he wants to order me to do something more, I want him to come and say it to me himself," she snapped before marching into her room.

"Another grumpy one?" Zack murmured as Tifa walked him out the door on towards the elevator.

She smiled and shook her head. "No. Yuffie is usually up earlier than either Cloud or me. I think she may have had trouble sleeping because of dinner yesterday," she replied.

He nodded. "For what it's worth, I'm not on board with what he's making her do. But, he _is_ my best friend. I can't order him to stop what he's doing. Oh, and in case you're wondering, he's hidden various copies of the video of Yuffie stealing from him in many different places. Even if you were to try to steal it from him, he'd still have copies to turn in. Tell Yuffie that it's best not to cross him anymore. Vincent… he isn't a bad man, but he hardly feels bad or guilty for the things he does," Zack said seriously.

Tifa sighed and nodded. "Thanks for telling us. I'll tell Yuffie. But you have to understand that she will go through with this kicking and screaming. Yuffie isn't the type to roll over and allow things to happen to her," she said.

"Neither are you, right?" Zack asked her.

She shrugged. "Only in one aspect of my life," she muttered.

"The blond in there?" he asked smartly. Tifa gave him a cool look and he just held up his hands as if to ward off whatever she would say. "It's kinda obvious by the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is looking and by the way he acts. He may say you're like a little sister to him, but his look tells me otherwise."

Tifa shook her head. "It's been years and we're still where we were when we met. He never made a move, and he has a girlfriend. I won't interfere and it's about time I moved on. Besides, there's this guy I met who is a total sweetheart and that's a wonderful kisser to boot," she said with a smile, watching as his blue eyes brightened.

"I'll need some proof that that's what you think," he said, moving towards her. Tifa moved forward and their lips met in a sweet kiss.

Meanwhile, Cloud was trying not to think about whatever Tifa and that guy were doing outside, so he turned on the large flatscreen in front of Yuffie's favorite chair and sat down with his coffee and a toasted bagel. He flipped boredly through the channels and would've missed the shows Tifa and Yuffie always watched about scandals and famous people, had he not seen Yuffie's face appear on screen. He flipped the channel back and turned up the volume. The woman on screen was reporting breaking news that had just reached them. "Yuffie! Turn to channel 83!" he yelled, watching with wide eyes.

In her room, Yuffie was sulking, ignoring the ring on her nightstand and she turned on the TV with a frown. Her eyes grew wide once more as she watched the woman announce her engagement to Vincent, spewing out a completely fake proposal and showing them walking into the restaurant separately last night. "Oh, this is complete bullshit," Yuffie snarled to herself. She raced into the shower to clean up and then dressed in record speed. As she walked out of her room, she ignored Cloud as he looked at her and Tifa, who was getting breakfast ready. "I'm going out," she said simply.

"Where?" Tifa asked, setting down the pancake mix.

"I have something to settle with that man. I'll be okay," she said before walking out.

Tifa caught up to her and held the door of the elevator before it could close. "Yuffie, don't do anything you may regret. Zack said that Vincent has various copies of the video. If you try to steal it from him, you'll go to prison," she said urgently.

"So you're telling me to go through with this?" Yuffie asked darkly.

Her cousin shook her head. "Of course not. But so far, you were right, we haven't thought of anything that can get you out of this. You've seen what Valentine is capable of, and Zack says that he isn't guilty about the things he does anymore. Unless you find some dirt on him, I don't know how to get you out of this," said Tifa quietly.

Yuffie sighed heavily and nodded. "I don't either, Teef. But if he expects me to sit back and hand him control of my life, he's sadly mistaken. If I marry this man, I will make sure that he pays dearly for what he's doing to me," she said seriously. "Cloud was right. I _am_ a very vindictive person."

Tifa bit her lip and stepped back, watching the flame of fury in Yuffie's eyes. She had no doubt that Vincent Valentine was making the biggest mistake of his life by forcing Yuffie into submission. His plan would backfire sooner or later.

………………

Stepping down on Vincent's floor, Yuffie felt various amazed gazes on her. She wondered just why it was hard to believe that Valentine was marrying her—even when she was boiling in fury inside—it was wasn't like she was _that_ bad looking. Aerith looked up from her desk and smiled in greeting. "Is he in with someone?" Yuffie asked her.

"No, but I need to announce you," Aerith said quickly.

Yuffie shook her head and just barged into Vincent's office, noting that he was on the phone. She glared at him, and he merely waved Aerith off, telling her that it was fine. She waited impatiently while he finished his phone call and once he was done, they competed in a staring contest for a few seconds. To his credit, he didn't lose the contest because the smirk on his face distracted her and made her look away from his eyes. "What are you doing?" she snapped.

"Well, some people call it working, but you wouldn't know about that, would you?" he asked smugly.

"I was referring to that stupid story that the press is going on an on about. You know, the fake proposal?" Yuffie asked darkly.

"Speaking of proposal, where is your ring? I thought I told Zack to tell you not to leave your home without it," he said flatly, changing the subject.

"I didn't feel like wearing something that costs enough to buy a small country," she snapped. "Plus, you haven't answered my question!"

"The press needs something to talk about and I decided that to make our marriage more believable, some sort of story would have to be released," he said, standing and walking over to pour himself a glass of water.

"What, you think the fact that I'm nineteen and you're twenty-seven isn't going to be enough for them to talk about?" Yuffie asked with a raised eyebrow.

Vincent shrugged elegantly and moved to stand directly in front of her, a small smirk on his lips. "Are you worried about my image?" he whispered.

Yuffie gave him a withering look and stepped back. "I'm worried more about the fact that you'll start believing this stupid arrangement if I don't beat you back into reality," she replied.

He merely rolled his eyes and moved back to his desk. "As I said, your father wants us to have dinner with him on Saturday and we will comply. _We_ will also play the happily engaged couple and there will be no rolling of eyes, or stiff posture while he's looking. When I touch you, you will smile and act as if you enjoy it, are we clear?" he asked seriously. When she didn't reply, he gave her a cold stare. _"Are we clear?"_

"Crystal," Yuffie said dryly. "Let's just clear up one thing," she said seriously. Vincent gave her a look that said she had his attention. "You don't own me," she said in a deathly quiet voice. "You don't simply snap your fingers and expect me to cater to your every whim. This doesn't work that way and if you shove me enough, you'll find out exactly what I am capable of doing. There are things I've done that aren't on my record and you couldn't possibly dream of. You don't know me, Valentine, you don't know what I will do when I feel cornered," she said before walking towards the door.

"But you _do _know what _I'm _capable of doing, right? You've seen my Shinra file. You know all about my past," he said calmly, watching as her hand hovered over the doorknob.

Yuffie froze and stared at the door before turning to look at him. "How could you possibly know that?"

"I know many things that would surprise you," Vincent replied ominously. "I was a Turk until my early twenties, and then I started my business. Now I am one of the most prominent business men in the city. I am a dangerous man to get involved with, Yuffie."

"Why don't you call off this entire charade then?" she asked, looking over her shoulder with a glare.

"Because you decided to steal from me twice and this is your punishment," Vincent said coolly.

"You know," she started, a smirk sliding onto her lips. "A while back I heard these really funny rumors about a _prominent_ business man being gay. That couldn't have been you, could it?" she asked sweetly. "Is that why you're marrying me? To stop the rumors of you being gay?" she snickered.

Vincent's glare would've been enough to burn a hole through the door had she not been standing in front of it. He was in front of her in seconds, one hand in her hair and the other pressed against the door right next to her head. "I can prove to you right here and now that I'm certainly not gay," he whispered, eyes like hot coals as they gazed into hers.

Yuffie watched his glare with an icy look. "I thought I told you not to touch me without my permission," she hissed, digging her nails into his forearms. There wasn't much else she could do with him nearly curled over her.

"You're going to be my wife, that's all the permission I need. Besides, what's the problem? Are you afraid you may enjoy it?" Vincent whispered, their lips only barely touching. He watched her lick her lips, and they were so close that her tongue touched his own lips briefly before she pulled it back into her mouth. He was struck once more by the fact that he was attracted to a woman that he normally didn't go for. Aside from the considerable age difference, she was too stubborn, too explosive, and too headstrong. But he couldn't deny that that was exactly why he was attracted to her. The fact that she was pretty, had shapely legs, and knew how to kick his ass were bonuses in Vincent's eyes. He would just have to work harder for her than, since he was used to getting his way without even lifting a finger.

"If you want to keep the family jewels intact, unhand me," Yuffie whispered.

Vincent smirked and yanked her hair back enough for her to feel discomfort, but not pain. He gave her enough time to go through with her threat, but she didn't move since her eyes were drawn to his lips as they lowered and skimmed the smooth skin of her jaw. A small breath shuddered from her lips and blew past his ear and that was all of the permission he needed, despite her unspoken claim to maim him if he touched her against her will. He kissed her and she was more than willing, and by the way she was now kissing him back he knew she felt the same attraction he did.

Yuffie felt her cheeks color when he kissed her expertly, his tongue slipping into her mouth to something particularly distracting. She had kissed guys before, and had had her fair share of boyfriends, but she had been actually saving herself for marriage, since it had been the one thing her mother had asked of her before her death. Yuffie hadn't minded, but she had always been a curious girl. Still, to think that Vincent Valentine would be the guy who deflowered her, it made her stomach sink into itself. She didn't want him to be the one to take that away from her, and by the way he was kissing her, it was obvious that he expected more of her than a few kisses and gropes. The particular gropes she was referring to went south and behind, and that was enough to make Yuffie break away from him, breathless and panting.

"Are you going to punch me again?" Vincent asked smartly.

Yuffie glared at him and was saved from looking like an idiot when his phone beeped and Vincent walked over to answer it. She stood there and forced her breath to slow and the color to leave her face. She would give him a piece of her mind as soon as she thought of something smart to say. Unfortunately for Yuffie, it seemed like his kiss had turned her brain into mush and she couldn't really think of something snide or insulting to say. "Asshole," she muttered as he hung up the phone.

"Then you'll soon be, Mrs. Asshole," he said with a smirk. "You should get going. I have many things to do and you're proving to be a very big distraction," Vincent stated.

"I'm getting sick and tired of you ordering me around," she snapped.

"Then you won't like what I will say to you next. Come this Monday, you and I will begin to plan the wedding and I will take you to get fitted for your dress," he said calmly.

Yuffie felt the sinking feeling that there was no way of getting out of the marriage now, and she would be doomed to a life with a man who thought he could get his way with everything he wanted. But it was either marrying a complete bastard, or going to prison for life. She, Tifa, and Cloud had had luck up until now and they had left behind to traces in all of their heists, but if it became known that they had stolen from ten places in the last two months, and many more before that, Yuffie knew that her father wouldn't be able to bail her out once more. She didn't fear many things, but spending her life in prison was not something she was looking forward to. Having a big gruff cellmate who wanted some love wasn't in her plans for the future. Now, having a man like Vincent Valentine seducing her didn't seem _so _bad, but that didn't mean that she would make it easy for him.

"You know, since this was _your_ idea in the first place, I expect you to pay for every single thing that has to do with this wedding. I will not… I _refuse_ to use my gil, or my father's to pay for this charade," Yuffie said, approaching the door once more.

Vincent had wondered if she would say anything along those lines. He just nodded when she turned to look at him. "As long as you don't try leaving the country or vanishing at any moment, I will do as you wish. Remember Yuffie, any type of suspicious movement on your part will result in the authorities receiving the video of your robbery. Besides, I will know if make any suspicious movements," he said as if he were sharing common information with her.

Yuffie turned to tell him off, but then the door opened and a woman stepped in, nearly hitting Yuffie with the door. "Watch it," she snapped, eyes meeting a gentle shade of brown eyes. The woman was tall and beautiful and Yuffie had never felt so completely ordinary in her life. This was the type of woman Valentine should've been marrying.

"Pardon me," she said, smiling slightly.

Vincent watched them both and noticed the look on Yuffie's face as she eyed the woman from head to toe. He just smirked to himself and cleared his throat. "I will see you on Saturday," he said, jolting Yuffie out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah," Yuffie muttered before nearly marching out of his office, neglecting to say goodbye, and ignoring the woman who had just arrived. As the door slammed behind her, Yuffie looked at Aerith, who was giving her a questioning look. "Who was that?"

"That was Lucrecia, one of Shinra's executives. She represents them whenever Shinra needs something from Vincent. Why, was she rude with you? I've always found her to be a very agreeable woman. Very nice too. Though there was a rumor a few years back that she and Vincent were involved. Though I never knew if it was true or not," Aerith said quickly, realizing what she had said to the woman that her boss and friend would soon marry.

Yuffie shrugged. She didn't know what she thought about the other woman. She wasn't jealous of her being in there with Vincent either, she was just… in awe that Valentine hadn't picked someone like her to be his wife. "I have to get going, Aerith, I'll see you around," Yuffie said, waving as the other woman nodded and smiled. Yuffie needed a quick form of stress relief and that only came with stealing something just for the hell of it. Valentine already had her in his hands, she might as well continue to do what she usually did… steal rich people blind.

………………

"Why aren't you smiling?" Godo asked her suspiciously, noting the frown that had been on his daughter's face.

Yuffie looked up from staring at the vanity in her bedroom in Godo's mansion and sighed. "I was just thinking about mom," she lied—though she always thought of her mother, so it wasn't really a lie—she really had been thinking of her forced marriage. She was in a dress once more, mostly because she knew that it made her father happy to dress up, mostly because she looked more like her mother when she dressed like a lady.

"She would be very proud of you. Putting all your juvenile crimes aside, you have grown up beautifully," he said with a smile, squeezing her shoulder. "You've certainly made me proud by completing your education and helping me keep an eye on the company. It will all be yours and Tifa's when I'm gone."

"Don't say that pops, you need to grow old just to spite me," she said with a smile, meeting his eyes in the reflection of the mirror.

Godo kissed the top of her head and took her hand to walk her down towards the living room. "I want you to do something for me, before you marry this man," he said quietly.

Yuffie nodded. "Anything."

"Take precautions to protect your share of your inheritance. You own a section of the company now, because I have given it to you, but once I die, you will be the president. I don't want anyone to take this away from you," he said seriously.

"You mean you want me to write a pre-nup?" Yuffie asked.

Godo nodded. "I will discuss this with him on my own time, but I wanted you to know that this is my wish. But in the end, it is your decision," he said.

"I think that's a very brilliant idea. I don't mind one bit and I'll sign any pre-nup you decide that will protect our gil and company," Yuffie said with an inward smirk. Take that, Valentine. If he thought she would be easy to manipulate and that he would have influence over her father's company, well, he was sadly mistaken. Coming out of her thoughts, Yuffie looked up in time to see Vincent walk into her father's home, wearing another expensive suit and looking far too handsome than she expected him to. He greeted Godo and then her, and Yuffie had to relax her shoulders as he leaned in to lightly kiss her lips.

Yuffie put on the sappiest smile she could conjure and watched Vincent smirk at her in amusement. Then Godo ushered them into the dining room and they had a fairly decent dinner. She had to give credit to Vincent when he didn't do or say anything to piss her off. That was, until _after_ dessert.

"Have you set a date for the wedding?" Godo asked, sipping on his beloved brandy.

Vincent looked at Yuffie and noticed the slight narrowing of her eyes. "I was hoping it would be sooner rather than later, but we haven't talked about it. Do you think a month from now would be too soon?"

"What!?" Yuffie exploded, looking at Vincent and then at her father with wide eyes.

Godo looked at her. "Is there something you aren't telling me? Are you pregnant already, daughter?" he asked suspiciously.

"Of course not!" she nearly yelled. "I just think a month is _way_ too soon," she complained.

"I don't see a problem in getting married in a month," said Godo.

"I don't either," Vincent put in. "Then it's settled," he said in a serious tone, leaving Yuffie no room for an argument. "We marry in a month."

Yuffie had to bite her tongue to keep from telling Vincent off in front of her father, but she refrained and sat there as the two men discussed business and occasionally her. This was not how she had envisioned herself getting married. Oh, but she was saving it all up and she would soon reach her limit.

…………

The following morning, Yuffie found herself trying not to sneer at the mere sight of wedding dresses. "That was a cheap shot," she said to Vincent, as he sat in a chair and watched her pace.

"What was?"

"You and my father teaming up to get me to marry you in one friggin' month," Yuffie snapped. She fell quiet when the woman came out from the back room and showed her into the fitting rooms to look at dresses.

"Go ahead and try these on, dear," said the woman. "Once you find a design you like, we can work together to make it more to your liking."

Yuffie just nodded and looked through the dresses that were exclusive designs made of imported Wutai silk of the most expensive kind. Only of the very highest quality for the soon to be Mrs. Valentine, after all. She tried the first one on and quickly pulled it back off. She would _not_ wear puffy sleeves. The next one looked better and she nearly jumped out of her skin when Vincent ordered her to show them to him.

"But what about seeing the bride before the wedding? It's bad luck," the woman helping them said.

"I don't believe in superstitions," Yuffie said flatly.

"Neither do I," Vincent put in.

"Besides, I can't possibly have more bad luck," Yuffie said, eyes on Vincent as she stepped out of the changing room and showed him the dress. She refrained from fidgeting when his eyes swept her from head to toe.

"Do you like it?" he asked her, meeting her eyes.

Yuffie shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't looked at the others." Truth was, she _did_ like it. The dress was made of kimono silk but in a very stylish modern cut. It was sleeveless, with a virtually no cleavage, since the material covered her collarbone, but her back was completely bare, dipping all the way to her lower back. Aside from that, it trailed behind her in a long train, and it hugged her hips snugly. Now, she wasn't as stacked as her cousin was, but she did have a prominent waist and very nice hips.

The woman came forward with a measure tape and looked at the dress critically. "It is a very nice fit. We would have to make it a little more tight around the waist, but otherwise it fits you perfectly."

"Do you want this one, or will you look for another?" Vincent asked, looking at her as she looked at herself in the mirror.

Yuffie looked at herself in the mirror, and though it wasn't her dream wedding, to a man she loved, the thought of wearing a white gown appealed to any woman who ever wanted to marry. Her eyes met Vincent's in the reflection and she bit her lip as he watched her. There was something strange in his eyes, something she couldn't quite identify and felt that she didn't want to identify. They didn't even know each other. Which brought her back to the problem once more. She was being forced into a marriage she didn't want.

"Will you give us a moment?" Vincent asked the woman. She nodded and stepped out and back to the front of the boutique. "What's wrong?" he asked Yuffie.

"You're really going to force me to marry you?" Yuffie asked, turning to look at him.

Vincent crossed his arms over his chest and looked away from her. He couldn't tell her his reasons, she would either maim him permanently or skip out of the country as soon as he took her home. Neither of those things suited him, despite the fact that Godo had already discussed the pre-nup with him. The pre-nup was a minor setback, but her father's company wasn't the only reason he was marrying her. He just wasn't willing to discuss it yet or any time soon. "Did you honestly expect to steal from me and get away from it unscathed?" he asked softly.

She shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"Speaking of stealing, I heard something this morning about a missing vase from a museum. Did you have anything to do with that?" he asked her suspiciously.

"Of course not," Yuffie said dismissively. Though Cloud had flipped when she had told him that she and Tifa would go into the museum from underground. Ha, the look on his face had been priceless, and he had been forced to sit at a restaurant across the street as a lookout. That vase was safe in some rich person's collection, and the needy had more money to help him the next few years. "So you're really marrying me out of revenge? That's such a stupid thing to do. I mean, why bother with me and not just send me to prison?"

"Because having you in my life is much more amusing than watching you rot away in prison. Or by the look of your skills, hearing you have escaped only a week later. I told you already, you don't need to know my reasons. Just play along and you will be fine. I'll even give you everything you may want or need," Vincent said, turning his back on her and walking towards the door. "Will you take that dress?"

"Yeah," Yuffie muttered before she walked back to changed into her clothes. A pretty dress and a big party weren't going to make her happy. Besides, who said that she had to be faithful to her fake husband? She thought with a smirk.

……………

"If this were any other day, I'd tell you you look beautiful in that dress," Tifa murmured as she worked on Yuffie's hair one last time.

Yuffie looked at herself briefly and let out a long breath to stop the tears. She was so close to flipping out and making some type of escape, but her cousin and Cloud kept her there. She would never risk their freedom for herself. That was why she would marry Valentine and find a way to get a divorce later on. She was sure that if she acted as obnoxious and immature as she could, he would eventually want to get rid of her. If that didn't work, then maybe spending his money excessively would be the kicker. "You can still say it," Yuffie sniffled. "Maybe it'll cheer me up a little."

Tifa smiled sympathetically and had already tried to talk Yuffie out of it. She hadn't wanted her friend to do it for her or for Cloud, but Yuffie said she would marry Valentine to save them all. "Well then, you look beautiful. The make-up really brings out your eyes and the lip-gloss plumps up your lips."

"Yeah," Yuffie muttered. The month had passed far more quickly than she had thought. Vincent had attempted to get her into the wedding planning, but with a very successful glare and a few choice words, he had left it all to the wedding planner. All he had done was ask her input on a few things just to spite her and rile her up. Yuffie couldn't deny that kissing him wasn't such a bad thing, but she couldn't fool herself into feeling okay or happy about their sham marriage. She watched Tifa in the beautiful red gown and saw the sad smile still on her face. "I'll be okay, Teef. Valentine is going to find out that be bit off more than what he could chew."

That made her cousin laugh and nod. Then Tifa gave her a worried look. "Yuffs, I don't want to worry you, but… what if he expects something out of you tonight. You know… it _is_ your wedding night," she trailed off.

Yuffie swallowed hard and shook her head. "One thing at a time, Teef. I can't think about that now, or I'm really gonna take up your offer in getting out of the country and to another continent or something. I've been working up my courage to marry this guy this entire month and I'll do it, and I'll do it because I have to. Let's not talk about all the other things," she muttered.

"Just… don't cry. You know that your nose and eyes get all puffy and everyone will be suspicious if you've been crying before the wedding," Tifa advised, handing her the bouquet of red roses.

Yuffie nodded and fanned herself, willing the tears to go away. She wasn't a crybaby and she would get through this with her head held high. "Just one thing before we go through with my sentence," she muttered, grabbing the picture she had stolen from Vincent's office of himself, which she had left gathering dust behind her collection of movies. She grabbed it, stared down at the handsome smirk for a moment and then hurled it against the wall, ignoring Tifa's flinch at the sound of breaking glass. They both stared at the remains of the frame and noticed the two pictures there at the same time. Tifa moved forward and grabbed the photos, handing them over to Yuffie. She turned them over and her eyes skimmed over the image of the woman she had seen at Vincent's office about a month before. She was standing under a very green tree with fields of colorful flowers behind her.

"Do you know who she is?" Tifa asked with a frown.

"I saw her a few weeks back in Vincent's office. I didn't know that they had something going on," Yuffie replied, turning the image over. On the back, there was a small message that read: _Something for you to remember me by. Please don't hate me. Lucrecia._

"…'please don't hate me.' Why?" Tifa asked curiously.

Yuffie shrugged and smirked to herself. She finally had something on Valentine and she would use it to her complete advantage. "We should go," she said to her cousin, stuffing the image into her bouquet safely.

Tifa nodded and hoped against everything that Yuffie didn't end up getting into more trouble by really marrying Vincent Valentine.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Ha, not very eventful, but at least I updated as promised. The wedding and wedding night were supposed to go in this chapter, but it turned out longer than I had anticipated and were moved to the next chapter. It took me longer to write because I caught a nasty cold this week and I felt ridiculously exhausted, I didn't even want to get on the computer to type. But I'm better now and hopefully good enough to party on the weekend! Er… sorry, you guys didn't need to know that.

Anyway, there was the mutual kissing for you all, though next chapter will be a little less friendly for the both of them and we'll see what happens at the wedding. Also, heed the ratings peeps, since it'll probably be enforced in one of the next few chapters. I won't tell you how or why, so just wait and see and I'll let you all know. I will also slip in a CloudTifa moment, since I'm feeling generous, and because Tifa hasn't made up her mind yet, so stick around for that. Always, thank you for the kind reviews and for being so great to me. You all make me happy, so I'll try to update sooner next time. I'll see you all around!

Joey


	6. Backfire

Hey, Mystic? I think Martha Stewart threw up all over _this_ wedding!

_**Warnings: **Adult situations and foul language. Please don't read if it bothers you, or if you don't like that sort of thing._

……………………………………

**Backfire**

……………………………………

As Godo's ridiculously fancy limo pulled up in front of the hall Valentine had rented for the wedding, Yuffie felt her hands grow damp with sweat and her stomach fall to the soles of her feet. She looked at her father as he smiled pleasantly and then to Tifa, who looked less than enthusiastic for her. "Dad, you promised to get me out of any jam right?" she asked him in a small voice. Tifa gave her an urgent look.

Godo smiled. "Sweetie, don't tell me that you're getting cold feet," he said in amusement. "Well, let me tell you about the day I married your mother--"

She interrupted as politely as she could, otherwise they would sit in the car for a couple of hours while her father went on and on. "I think I'm too young to get married. What if you get me out of the country and help change my identity and all that?" Yuffie asked, her words nearly meshing together because of how rapidly she was talking.

Her father turned to her and gave her a serious look, eyes on hers. "Honey, do you want to marry this man?"

An image of Tifa and Cloud in prison uniforms flashed through Yuffie's mind. Cloud would fit in. He was scary in his own right, and even though he was shorter than average, he could take down men a foot taller than him without breaking a sweat. Tifa would be okay too, but it wouldn't be fair for them to pay for her mistake. Yuffie had thought and thought about this already. She knew what she had to do. She stared down at her hands, the expensive ring, her manicured nails, and then she looked at her father and forced a smile. "Yeah. Walk me down the isle, dad."

Godo nodded and got out of the car before helping Tifa and then Yuffie out. Tifa stayed with Yuffie when Godo went to see if everything was ready and helped fix the gown around her. "Don't do it, Yuffie. I know you're doing it for Cloud and me, but don't."

"Tifa… don't do this to me," Yuffie pleaded. "I'll deal. But it's something I have to do. Don't worry about me, okay?"

Tifa nodded and hugged her, feeling a few tears squeeze out. "Aww, is this a group hug thing?" asked a man's voice before they were both nearly squeezed out of air.

Tifa let out a small laugh and transferred her arms to Zack when Yuffie pulled away and took the handkerchief he offered for her tears. "We're just trying to get used to the idea of Yuffie getting married," Tifa said to Zack.

"Well, Vincent is already inside. Cloud too. He's here with his girlfriend, who just happens to be Vince's assistant. What a small world," he said thoughtfully. Then he smiled and patted Yuffie's shoulder lightly. "Ready?"

"I have to be," Yuffie muttered just as Godo walked back over to them.

"The guests are all there, in their seats. Everyone is just waiting for you," Godo said, taking her hand and kissing it. "Are you ready?"

Yuffie looked at Tifa as her cousin clung to Zack's arm and nodded. "I'm ready," the soon-to-be-bride breathed. Godo offered his arm and they both made their ways up the steps of a building made to look like some ancient palace with large, rounded columns, and a red carpet beneath their feet. There was no media around, and Yuffie had remembered Vincent explaining that he would have the street shut down two blocks from every direction around their wedding for privacy. She vaguely wondered exactly how he had done it, but didn't dwell on it too much as they walked into the entrance hall where her neighbor's kids, Marlene and Denzel would be ring bearer and flower girl, Cloud would walk with Aerith, and then Tifa with Zack down the isle. Then she and Godo would follow and Yuffie would be officially signing over her life to a man she barely knew and didn't even love.

There would be no religious ceremony, for obvious reasons. She respected Wutai's god, Leviathan, but hadn't practiced anything even remotely religious since her mother had died. Vincent wasn't exactly the type of man who did either, so they would basically have a glorified city hall ceremony. The guests were people she didn't even know. Half were friends and acquaintances of Valentine, while the other half belonged to Godo. There were few faces that she knew and was happy to see, but otherwise everyone else was a stranger to her.

As they stepped into the hall, Yuffie praying that she wouldn't trip over her own feet and bring Godo down with her, everyone went silent and turned to look at her. She felt like she would throw-up at any second, but with a few controlled breaths she pushed the feeling down. Instead she focused her gaze on Vincent as he watched her. Though she hated the very ground he was standing on, the man looked very handsome in a tailored black suit, a dark red vest with some variation of a tie—she couldn't think of the name for it at the moment.

Everything looked beautiful and elegantly designed. From the red ribbons, red roses, and white lilies tied behind each chair, to the tables on the other side of the hall, where the plates were of fine china, bottles of wine and of the best champagne in ice buckets, and there were beautiful arrangements of red roses everywhere. The crystal chandelier right above the dance floor was a nice touch, she mused. The wedding planner had done a good job with it all, and all Yuffie could think of was drinking herself stupid at the bar afterward. Maybe Tifa would join her.

Godo handed her hand to Valentine and Yuffie nearly squeaked when she realized that they were at the front already. Vincent gave her a questioning look and Yuffie let out a slow breath and tried to relax as he led her to the very front where the official would begin the ceremony. She tuned out the ceremony, noting that Vincent was watching her, trying to be alert in case she bolted for the doors or did something that prevented their marriage. Finally, when it came time to asking if she took him as her husband, Yuffie hesitated. Her eyes slid over to Tifa and then to Cloud, both of them giving her solemn looks.

Everyone was watching her, a few people murmuring as she stood in silence for a few seconds. Then she nodded and accepted. The rings were exchanged—more silver and diamonds, she noted—and then they signed. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride," the man said with a smile.

Yuffie stared up at Vincent, eyes a touch wide with more than a little panic. She couldn't really believe she had gone through with it and had not even attempted to escape at least once. Now, she watched his lips close over hers and he kissed her gently, willing her to relax her tense posture. Before she could even respond, the room erupted into cheer and clapping, people happy for them and in the mood to celebrate. Still as if in a trance, Yuffie accepted various hugs and hand shaking from the guests, many of which were the strangers.

Zack and Tifa watched her from a small distance away and he slipped a hand over her shoulders. "I think she's handling it better than you are," he murmured.

Tifa just shrugged and dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand. "She looks as if she needs a stiff drink or she's going to run out on your friend any moment now," she replied.

"Don't worry about it. Many things he may be, but Vincent won't ever hurt her," Zack said seriously, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Tifa just nodded and her eyes met Yuffie's for a moment. There were tears in them now and there was nothing either of them could do to change her situation. She was a married woman and as such, she would move in with her husband, no matter how fake the marriage was. Tifa walked off towards the bar to get that much needed drink, leaving behind Zack and her gloomy cousin.

……

"Smile a little," Vincent whispered into her ear as they finished up with an exquisite dinner.

"Unless you want me to look constipated, it ain't happening," she hissed right back. She smirked when he gave her a look of annoyance, and both looked up when the photographer caught that moment between them. "Once I start drinking, I'll smile a little more."

"Just make sure you don't drink yourself stupid. The last thing you want is to be shown in the society pages, drunk on your wedding day," he said in amusement. "I'll frame the paper for you to remember it always if it does happen."

"I will take that into consideration," Yuffie said as she stood from the table and made her way to her cousin, who was nursing a shot glass of golden liquid. "Need a drinking buddy?" she asked.

Tifa smiled and nodded, motioning for the bartender to pour a shot for Yuffie. "On three?" she asked. Yuffie nodded. "One… two…" They both took the shot on two, as they always had.

"Don't look so glum. I'm more cheerful than you and it's my _happy_ wedding day," Yuffie muttered. Tifa shrugged and they downed the second shot the bartender had poured for them both.

"I think we should stop now, before we end up singing on top of tables," Tifa said with a faint grin.

Yuffie nodded. "I think you're right. Besides, I just saw Aerith and Cloud have some type of argument. He's outside," she said with meaning before walking off and towards her father, who was dancing with some random woman.

Tifa's eyes searched for Zack and she found him entertaining a few girls, who giggled and subtly touched his arms and sometimes his chest. She smiled to herself and realized that he didn't flirt on purpose or for attention, he was just the type of man who drew attention to himself by the way he spoke and held himself. She let out a deep breath and walked out onto the veranda that led towards the gardens all around the structure. There were various guests there, talking and strolling around, drinking champagne and wine, but off towards the side, Cloud was standing on his own. She approached him slowly, the warm breeze fluttering her gown and her long hair gently. "Hey," she said quietly.

Cloud turned to look at her and offered a small smile. "Hey," he said simply.

"Where's Aerith?" Tifa asked casually.

"Somewhere inside," Cloud replied dismissively.

Tifa moved closer and stared at his back. "Did… something happen?" she asked quietly.

Cloud turned to look at her and shook his head after a moment. "You look beautiful, by the way. Red really suits you," he murmured, reaching up to push some of her hair behind her ear.

Tifa smiled and looked at him shyly. "You look really handsome yourself. You should wear a suit more often."

"Yeah," he said with a light chuckle. "Wearing a suit while fixing my bike and Yuffie's would be a great idea." His smile faded when he looked towards Yuffie and saw her exchanging a few words with Valentine. "We owe her a lot. I didn't want her to go through with this, Tifa. We accepted the risks of going on heists with her; she shouldn't be the only one to carry this burden."

Tifa nodded and felt her eyes burn with tears once more. She supposed that she was crying the tears that Yuffie was holding inside herself. A few escaped her hold and Cloud noticed. He made a noise and leaned forward to clean them gently away, watching as she blinked those long, dark lashes at him. He could feel her drawing him in, and in that moment nothing mattered. Aerith wasn't nearby, Tifa wasn't seeing Zack. All that mattered was that Tifa was sad and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do to wipe that look off her face. She let out a small sigh as his lips brushed hers gently, her hands sliding up his chest to settle on his shoulders. She tasted like cherries and tequila, Cloud mused, realizing that maybe the alcohol was making her respond to his kiss when she wouldn't have, had she been completely sober.

"Is this your way of dealing with our fight?" asked a voice from behind them.

Tifa drew away and Cloud closed his eyes with a heavy, guilty sigh. "Aerith, I…"

"It's not what it looks like?" Aerith asked derisively, glaring at him and at Tifa. "Have you been cheating on me with her all this time?"

Tifa shook her head. "No. It's my fault. I had something to drink and I do stupid things when I have alcohol in me. He didn't even respond to the kiss," she said quickly. And of course she was lying, because Cloud had been happy to initiate the kiss, she just didn't want to be the one responsible for their break-up. "I'm sorry," she said quickly, walking off and back into the party.

Cloud turned to Aerith and shook his head. "I kissed her, Aerith. I just… can't lie to you anymore."

"You love her," she said quietly. Cloud just nodded once, but didn't make a noise when her hand connected with his face. "We're so over. I don't ever want to see you again," she said before storming off.

_I'm sorry, _he murmured to himself as he watched her leave. This had been precisely why he had not wanted to make a move on Tifa. Besides, she was dating Zack now. His change of heart had come too late.

……

Vincent watched Yuffie in amusement. She was smiling openly now, but because she was more than a little buzzed. Still, he had to admire the fact that she hadn't made a fool of herself in front of their guests. He supposed that it was time for them to go, before she passed out after too many shots with her cousin. That wouldn't do at all. He moved away from the group of fellow business men after bidding them goodbye and walked over to Yuffie. She stopped her dancing with the few children that had been invited with their families and looked up at him.

"You should dance with us, Vince," she said with a grin. She stopped when Marlene and Denzel gave her a fast turn and her vision tilted slightly, making her lose her balance and land right in Vincent's arms.

"I think it's time for us to go," he murmured, his fingers sliding over the smooth skin of her bare back.

"Go where?" Yuffie asked, taking in a breath of his spicy cologne as her nose pressed against his chest.

"Home," Vincent whispered with promise.

"My home is with my cousin and my father, but you wouldn't care, would you?" she asked abruptly, moving away from him. "I'll go say goodbye to my family and then we'll go," she said, sobering a little before walking away.

Godo wrapped her in a tight hug and gave her his blessing, almost setting Yuffie to tears. They weren't stopped when Tifa hugged her next. They both stood there crying for a long moment before there was a throat clearing behind them. "I'll call you both tomorrow," Yuffie said to her and to Cloud.

"Just… good luck," Tifa whispered, eyes still watery.

Yuffie nodded and turned to walk away, saying goodbye to a few guests as they approached them. Then she and Vincent walked out of the hall and left the party behind. He had a luxury car with a driver take them home, and the ride was tense and silent. She didn't know what to say to him, and she didn't feel the need to talk either. Anxiety was chewing at her insides and she didn't know how she would deal with what usually happened to a woman on her wedding night. There had been no talk from either of them regarding if anything would happen between them. The curiosity was there on her part, but she wasn't happy about giving Vincent more control over her life by allowing him her body for her first time.

The car pulled up in front of his home, and Vincent helped her out, noting how she swayed a little. He opened the door for her and smirked. "Do you wish for me to carry you over the threshold?" he asked.

"How about I just punch you in the face now?" she asked before stepping in on her own, not bothering to wait for him.

"You can meet Elmyra and the rest of the ladies who work here tomorrow. I invited them to the party and they are still there. We are on our own until tomorrow," Vincent said, leading the way towards the bedrooms.

Yuffie stopped short when he opened one door and stepped inside. "You… don't expect us to sleep in the same room… right?" she asked, eyes taking in the dim lights, the petals of white and red roses all over the bed and strewn across the floor. The room was large, and the bed seemed like the centerpiece with its black silk sheets and various pillows. There was a small sitting area towards the window and a large TV at the corner. There were two doors, one for the closet and the other for the bathroom she supposed. There was also a bottle of champagne in ice and two glasses. "Did you plan all this? It's kinda overboard with the whole rose petal thing. I don't know what gave you the impression that you're getting laid tonight," she said snidely.

Vincent just smirked and pulled off his coat, vest, and tie. "You are my wife, aren't you? There are things wives do for their husbands, or didn't your father ever talk to you about the birds and the bees?" he asked mockingly.

"I know what sex is about. Don't take me as the virginal innocent girl here," she muttered, cheeks coloring as she admitted to the fact that she had never been with man before. She'd done a few things that would make Godo blow a gasket if he knew, but she had never gone all the way.

"I didn't do this. I think Elmyra was the one who went through all the trouble, so just thank her tomorrow morning, even though seeing this gave you an ulcer." Vincent sat on the bed to pull off his shoes and then carried his things into his closet.

Yuffie sighed to herself and pulled off her own shoes, happy that she hadn't done much dancing, or she would've been cursing her high-heels by now. Then she remembered something and grabbed her bouquet, pulling out Lucrecia's picture—she didn't believe in throwing the bouquet either. Why curse other women with her own misfortune? "Tell me something," she said, handing him the picture as he walked out. "What did she do to you, Vincent?"

He stared down at the picture with a frown and then turned to glare at Yuffie. "Where did you get this?"

"What does it matter?" Yuffie replied, handing him the champagne bottle so that he could open it. The cork popped and Yuffie jumped back as a long stream fizzed out and nearly landed on her dress. Despite the circumstances of her fake wedding, she really did like her wedding dress. "Why is she sorry, Vincent?" she asked derisively.

"That's none of your business," he muttered darkly, taking the bottle and pouring himself a glass when Yuffie only poured for herself.

"Did she leave you? Cheat on you? Did she run off with your best friend?" Yuffie kept needling. "Did she break it off when the gay rumors started?" she asked with a snicker.

Vincent had had enough. Before she had a chance to even set down her glass, he had her pressed against the wall, his lips on hers to shut her up and to shut down his own thoughts. He didn't want to think about Lucrecia and there was more than a good distraction right in front of him. She wanted to play hardball? Well, he would show her he wasn't the right person to harass.

"Let go of me, you oaf!" she hissed when he let her take some air.

His lips hovered over hers, skimming but not quite touching in a kiss just yet. He moved in and sucked on her lower lip, watching as she closed her eyes and sucked in a ragged breath. "This is your chance to tell me to get away from you again," he murmured, slipping his tongue into her mouth to taste her once more.

Yuffie made a small noise in the back of her throat and nearly melted into a puddle when the kiss turned to something sweet and cajoling. "Get off me," she gasped when his mouth moved to a spot on her neck that had always driven her crazy. To the both of them, her words were unconvincing, and then he was back on her, and Yuffie was reminded why she usually didn't drink so often. She could handle her liquor, but the problem was that alcohol usually made her… _friendlier_. It was a miracle she hadn't lost her virginity by now.

Yuffie hadn't even been aware that she was clutching his hair and his shirt as he picked her up and moved her towards the bed. Stupid champagne, already it was kicking in and making her woozy, but she had yet to kick Vincent off of her. His hands were gentler than she thought they would be, and skilled enough to shut up that little sarcastic voice in her head that kept telling her to tease him about being gay. He certainly didn't feel and act gay to her.

Some other part knew that she would regret it in the morning, but she pushed that part away and felt her breathing quicken when he began to inch her dress up her legs and thighs. "Stop," she whimpered, feeling his lips on her neck as he moved his hand to pull down the thin strap over one shoulder.

"This is your chance to prove if I'm truly gay," he whispered, long fingers caressing the insides of her thighs. "Where's that challenging ninja when I need her?" he asked before kissing her again.

Damn it. How was it that he knew the exact words to use to taunt her into doing what he wanted? This wasn't supposed to be happening! A voice chided her. But the alcohol fog was there, dulling her usual senses and she couldn't say that she minded what Vincent was doing to her. Fake husband or not, he was devilishly good with his hands.

Her pulse was thudding in her veins, making it hard to think and hard to stop his hands as he found a way to get her out of the dress. The silk sheets under her and the rose petals were cool on her heated skin and she wanted to tell him to stop, but her voice was failing her at the moment. Until his mouth found her breast and she let loose a small moan.

Normally, she would've felt shy about what he was doing—of the fact that he was seeing her _naked_—but by now she knew enough to know that she was more than a little drunk. She forgot that she wasn't herself and gave in. She'd get to blame it on the alcohol in the morning. The rest that came after was a blur to her, up until the feel of his bare skin against hers, and hot, throbbing pain. Then he began to move and it faded as her breathing quickened.

The feeling was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. It was nothing like experimental, teenage fondling. This was the real thing and it felt amazing, even to her dull senses. It was nothing like the magical moments portrayed in romance novels, but she couldn't deny that it was good. Or maybe he'd had enough practice to make it _that _good. Her hands clutched at his back, and her eyes slid closed as the pain faded away into nothing and her body began to tremble in pleasure.

Her skin felt overly sensitive, and she was trying to keep her noise to a minimum. Why boost his ego by letting him know just how much she was enjoying it? Then her thoughts ceased as something inside her began to build to an impossible height. Vincent's lips were on her neck, breathing heavy, one hand on her hip, the other fisted in the sheets, and his hips driving against hers in a steady rhythm, increasing little by little. Her body was breaking into a sweat, and the muscles in her lower stomach and clenched and unclenched every time he moved inside her. The friction was impossibly hot and her breathing was getting quicker as he kept to the pounding rhythm of his trusts.

Then she broke. The sound that left her lips was high and drawn out as her body clenched and shook underneath his own. Vincent watched her, eyes half lidded as her cheeks colored and her hands and legs tightened around him. Skilled fingers sought out her heat and caressed her there, drawing out the sensations and making her body nearly writhe beneath his. When he was satisfied with her response, he slid his hand away and felt her grip finally ease. Then his body was caught up in the sensations as well, and he buried his face into her sweet smelling hair as his body reached its peak and she took everything he had. He lay panting for a moment, wondering what she would have to say after that, but her eyes were blinking sleepily, on the verge of sleep even as her breath continued to come quick for a few moments.

"You're going to hold this against me tomorrow, aren't you?" he murmured, skimming his lips over her cheek.

"Hmmm…" she trailed off as her eyes finally slid closed.

Vincent smirked to himself and moved to her side, pulling her under the sheets as her skin cooled. He watched her sleep for a long moment, contemplating how much their lives would change from that day on. He had willingly brought a strange woman into his life and home, something he had never thought of doing before she had come along and given him the opportunity through blackmail. Even if she was angry afterwards, she would stay and be his wife. He would get to know all her intimacies, watch her sleep, dress, and go about her business during the day even if she didn't like it. She was Yuffie Valentine now.

He stood from the bed after watching her sigh in her sleep and roll onto her side, rose petals sticking to her back. He walked over to the discarded picture of Lucrecia and picked it up to inspect it. He remembered he had hidden the picture behind one of his own years ago, when her betrayal had been fresh on his mind and he had still loved her too much to actually tear it apart. He didn't know what he felt for Lucrecia anymore, but he wasn't too happy about Yuffie finding out anything she could use against him in arguments; which he figured she would do every chance she got. He also knew that she wouldn't make this an easy fake marriage, and that she would try to make his life even more miserable once she woke up in the morning and took in all they had done tonight. He had taken advantage of her drunken state, even though she had been more than willing, and he would be able to use that to his _own _advantage. He had no regrets and he felt no guilt. She was his now, and it would make things easier for him in the long run.

…………………

The first thing she noticed before she even opened her eyes was that she ached in places she had never ached before. Yuffie's eyes popped open when she heard a door open. She realized two things then, three actually. One, she was very much naked, two, she needed a toothbrush and toothpaste fast, and three, she was in what she supposed was Valentine's bedroom, not to mention that she had a very nasty headache. "What the hell!?" she screeched, sitting up and clutching the sheet to her naked chest.

"Good morning to you too," Vincent said, walking out of his closet already dressed, save for the suit jacket and the tie, which he was putting on at the moment. His hair was damp and not yet brushed, and he looked… cheerful.

Yuffie felt her stomach roil in protest, reminding her how much she had actually had to drink the night before. "You took advantage of me!" she accused.

Vincent gave her a shrewd look. Though she was absolutely furious, she made quite a sight wrapped up in black silk to contrast with her skin, and with rose petals in her hair. Of course, he wouldn't tell her any of this unless he wanted to risk getting his eyes gouged out in her current mood. "No. I gave you a chance to back away, even while you were more than buzzed. You were more than willing for me to f—"

"Don't say it!" she yelled, easing off of the bed and wincing at all the aches she had noticed before as they came back with a vengeance. She tugged at the sheet and wrapped it around herself when it gave. "That's fucking bullshit and you know it!" she yelled, storming over to jab a finger into his chest.

"Like I said, I gave you the chance to tell me to get lost, or to threaten certain parts of my anatomy, but you didn't. I gave you what you wanted. You should be happy. Not many girls have an experienced lover on their first time," he said calmly, walking towards the door.

"Oh, I'm gonna get you for this, Valentine. Mark my words!" she yelled dramatically when he paid her no mind. Moving into the bathroom, she showered and cleaned up, feeling her tired muscles relax, and her aches fade a little away. She kept getting flashes of the night before, and though they weren't at all bad, she refused to dwell on them. Especially the sound of his breathing… the feel of him above her… the way her own body had... She screamed in rage and shut off the shower after washing away the soap. Behind the door, she stopped abruptly, noticing the beautiful black robe hanging there. She knew it was from Wutai, since her mother had had one just like it when she had been a little girl. The only difference was the color, and the design. This one was made of soft silk with Leviathan embroidered on the back. She pulled it on and found that it fit her perfectly, if not a little bigger than she was used to, but the silk was soft and cool against her skin.

Well, robe or no robe, she was still very angry. She walked into his closet to see if there was something interesting in there, and found that her clothes from Godo's home had been brought over and were hanging in a section of the huge, walk-in closet. There was much more space for anything she may have wanted to bring, but for the most part, her clothing had stayed in her old apartment. Besides, he wanted a fake wife? He'd have to cough up the money for her shopping spree, Yuffie thought with a wide smirk. That would be _after_ she got her revenge, though.

She pulled on an outfit she had donned only a handful of times and found that it was a little tighter around the chest area. _Well, what do you know? I've grown a bit more in the boob area!_ She thought with a grin. Then she pulled on a pair of her most favorite boots—those, Tifa must've sent ahead the morning before, since she knew Yuffie couldn't live without them—and she ran a brush through her hair quickly. Then she darted out of the room and walked off towards the kitchen.

There was a woman already preparing breakfast, and Yuffie glared at Vincent as he smirked and drank his cup of coffee. Yuffie made a face at him and turned to the woman who was watching them. "Yuffie, this is Elmyra, she has been with me since I was about thirteen, and she's watched over me since then. Be nice to her, she's the one who keeps this house running."

"That's not my place anymore," Elmyra said kindly, smiling at Yuffie. "You can handle your home however you see fit."

Yuffie smiled. "It's nice to meet you. But don't worry about me. I know very little about running homes. Put me in an office, and I can turn a company into an empire, but that's it."

"Yes, that and you'd empty an entire museum if you could," Vincent muttered.

The ninja gave him a flat look. "Aren't you late for taking over the world or something?" she asked snidely. "Or would that be doing some damage control on _those_ rumors?" she asked with a smirk.

"Give it a rest, Mrs. Valentine, after last night, you know that those rumors don't have any truth in them," he said before setting down his mug and winking. He blew her a kiss and then he was out the door.

Yuffie sat fuming for a few seconds until she realized that they hadn't been alone during that exchange. Elmyra smiled. "Young love brings back so many memories," she said, a far off look in her eyes.

Yuffie had to refrain from gagging and just shrugged. "He can be a real jerk when he sets his mind to it."

"But he made you his wife. You're the first woman he brings here," replied the older woman with a smile. "Now, what would you like to eat, Miss Yuffie?"

"Please, just call me Yuffie. Um, well, I'll just have some type of fruit salad and orange juice, if that's okay."

"That'll be done in a few minutes," Elmyra said as she got to work.

Meanwhile, Yuffie took a look around the house and noticed all the decoration once more. It wasn't too bad, and there were a few things she liked, but what would be the point of stealing from her own house now? No, maybe stealing wouldn't be the best way to get at Valentine now. Or at least, stealing from him wouldn't be a good idea for revenge. Now, going off and stealing from someone else deliberately sounded like an idea she could work with. She smiled to herself and walked off to get her phone to get in touch with her friends.

……………

Another museum, different form of entering. Yuffie gave a look around and made a count of how many security officers she had just seen outside of the building. Had they been anticipating a hit on this particular place? "Ace, I think you should steer clear until we give the word to come get us. The chopper may be silent, but invisible it's not," she said quietly, watching Tifa work on her mini-comp already on the roof.

"Copy. I'll be circling nearby," Cloud replied before the helicopter moved away.

"How are we?" Yuffie asked Tifa.

"Were ready to go in. Through a window because every door has some type of trip that is deactivated by a code that we obviously don't have," Tifa said.

"Would you be able to find it?" Yuffie questioned.

"If we had an hour to spare, yeah. But I don't think _you_ do. Won't Valentine wonder where you've been all day? You've disappeared without calling him, and he'll probably freak and think you ran off."

"Yeah, it'd be real smart to run off _after _we got married. This is my revenge," Yuffie muttered, tying a thick piece of rope and throwing it over the side. She watched how low it fell and was satisfied when it didn't hit anyone on the head.

"Revenge for him deflowering you?" asked Tifa smartly.

"No. Revenge for him taking advantage of me while I was drunk."

Tifa smirked to herself. "Did you like it?"

Yuffie was silent and just started to climb down. She had no time to think about _that _now_._ Climbing onto the small ledge where her chosen window was, she used a flat blade to knick through the lock and crack it open. Tifa followed her and both pushed the rope through the window in order to climb down more than ten feet. They fell on silent feet, looking around at the various artifacts, works of art, and paintings. This particular item, she had stolen once before, but Godo had made her give it back when her nanny had found it in her drawer. It brought back fond memories and Yuffie thought back on how easy it had been at the time. Now, it would have various security trips and there would most likely be many guards watching over it inside.

"Got the tranqs?" Yuffie murmured as they blended in with the shadows.

"Yeah," Tifa replied, making hand movements when they saw the flashlights and heard faint whistling. Yuffie shook her head and they let the man pass them by. Then they took off at a quick run, turning corners as Tifa looked into her computer. They entered the exhibition and sitting right in the middle of the room was a glittering blue egg with various diamonds and valuable stones all around it. Both she and Tifa ducked into the darkness when another guard walked into the room and took a look at the egg. Tifa aimed a small gun and fired a tranq into the man's leg. He slumped and Yuffie pulled him off to the side in the dark.

"I'm running scans on it now. I can bypass the trips but we'll only have a small amount of time to grab it and go before the sensors pick up that it's missing. I hope you're ready for a good run," Tifa murmured.

Yuffie nodded and took out her trusty glass cutter. She made quick work of it as Tifa stood as a look out, and she heard the tranq gun go off while she reached in for the egg. "Are you sure we can get it without sealing off the whole room?" she asked Tifa.

Tifa made a complete scan of the room and nodded. "It'll be a close one, but we can get out in under a minute," she said seriously. Taking a deep breath, the ninja reached in with deft hands and pulled up the egg, eyes glittering. She smiled to herself, but it slowly died when Tifa cursed. "A silent alarm was tripped and the police are on their way. Pack up and start running."

Yuffie put the egg into a special pouch at her hip before they both took off faster than the wind. That was the upside of being a ninja, they were quick on their feet. As they rounded the corner, Tifa shot out another guard, jumping over him as he slumped to the floor heavily. Then she was the first up the rope, while Yuffie scanned the area.

"Contact Ace. Tell him we need him here now," Yuffie said quickly. Tifa did as her cousin said and helped Yuffie onto the edge. Just as they turned to keep climbing, they heard the sound of a gun cocking. Both women turned slowly to look behind them and saw another figure in all black, including a mask, pointing a gun at them.

"That egg is mine ladies," said a raspy voice. "Hand it over."

Yuffie couldn't tell whether his voice was like that, or if he was changing his tone so he wouldn't be recognizable. Smart move. "I think not," she said, changing her voice as well. "We were here first, and this egg is ours. Finders, keepers."

"Hand it over the easy way, or we'll do this the hard way. Already the police surround the museum. How do you expect to get out?" he asked.

Tifa's eyes darted to another rope that was suddenly thrown outside nearby. "Ready," she whispered.

Yuffie nodded and sent her Shuriken flying, distracting the man before Tifa shot out with the tranq gun. She missed twice as the man jumped out of the way and Yuffie shoved her towards the rope, staying behind to catch her weapon. As it came back to her, she nearly dropped it when the sound of a gun firing rang out. A cry of pain escaped her and she clutched at her arm, stilling the blood flow before it dripped down onto the windowsill and they left behind condemning evidence.

Tifa fired her tranq gun once more and the man ducked again, giving her the opportunity to grab onto Yuffie and cling to the rope as Cloud began to pull them up into the air. "Are you all right?" she asked, holding on as tight as she could, hoping they wouldn't slip and fall to their deaths.

"Yeah," Yuffie said, voice filled with pain. "Bullet is in my arm and I can feel the blood seeping through my hand. We need to get into the chopper before I leave behind my damned DNA," she muttered, looking down and noting the flashing lights from at least twenty cop cars.

They made it into the helicopter just as blood began to drip down Yuffie's fingers and onto the floor of the chopper. "Well now. How am I going to explain to Valentine that I got shot?" Yuffie asked with a smirk, pulling off her mask. She wouldn't even dwell on it. Why was it that her revenge plots always backfired?

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Now, what will Vincent have to say once Yuffie does go home, I wonder. All I can say is that it won't be pretty, and there will be some Lucrecia in there too. Also, if you've noticed, they hadn't really talked about their pasts, or the details of how Vince grew up and with who, so expect that after all the arguing has gone down. The whole Fabergé egg thing is another bit borrowed from "Ocean's Eleven," since I'm running out of ideas on things they can steal. I'll need to do a bit of research on things that can be stolen, so that it doesn't get too boring. Still, I hope everyone enjoyed, since I had a very interesting time writing this chapter. I know it may seem like Vince was a jerk by taking advantage of Yuffie while she was drunk, but it had to be done.

Also, I did it in a way where it wouldn't seem too bad and completely evil on Vincent's part. Yuffie was more than on board for Vince to have his way with her, even though she's acting all insulted and angry now. Still, if you notice, she hasn't taken it as bad as other people would. I just hope I didn't offend anybody with this chapter, since their first time together had to be worked in this way for future chapters and stuff. Always, thank you so much for the positive words and your opinions. They are greatly appreciated and they make me real happy, so keep them coming! Don't ever think that your opinions don't matter. Even a small note saying that you enjoyed the chapter can make an author want to keep writing. So thanks for reading and I hope to update soon!

Joey


	7. The In Laws

……………………………………

**The In-Laws**

……………………………………

"I can get the bullet out without any problem," Cloud murmured. "I just have to numb your arm. Do you trust me with a needle?"

"You've taken care of my injuries before and nothing has ever been in danger of falling off because gangrene or something like that," Yuffie muttered as they sat in the kitchen and he cleaned up the bullet wound.

Cloud nodded and moved to a small, hidden compartment in the kitchen where all the medical things were located, including something to numb Yuffie's arm with. After taking care of that, Yuffie looked away as he set to getting the bullet out of her arm. When the little clink of metal sounded, he showed her the bullet, lying on the metal tray. "It's gonna hurt for a few days. You'll have to go to the doctor and get some painkillers."

"Shera is on vacation with Cid now. We can't go see someone else because doctors ask too many damn questions and they are obligated to report gunshot wounds," Tifa pointed out. Shera was an old friend of theirs, a little older, but she had already gotten a medical degree and she was discreet enough to take care of the more serious injuries either she, Yuffie, or Cloud sustained while on a heist. She was the only trustworthy doctor they knew.

Yuffie sighed and watched Cloud as he stitched up her arm. He had always done a good job on smaller wounds, and not many of them had scarred, but she had a feeling that this one would. She didn't know how she'd be able to hide it from her _dear_ husband. Cloud then bandaged her arm and gave her a thumbs up as he moved to clean everything up. "What time is it?" she asked Tifa.

"Nearly midnight. Did you check your cell?" Tifa asked.

Yuffie brought out the phone from her pocket and saw that it had more than five missed calls and the same number of messages. She sighed. "Might as well go home. Do me a really big favor and investigate that Lucrecia woman. I need you to find out anything you can about her and call me as soon as you can. Tomorrow," she cleared up at the look on Tifa's face. "Valentine flipped when I started asking questions about her."

"Was this _before _or _after_?" Tifa asked with a smirk.

"The question led to _that_," Yuffie replied, walking towards her room to pack a few of her things.

"You never answered my question," Tifa said, helping Yuffie as her cousin tried to move her arm as little as possible. At Yuffie's questioning look, she elaborated. "The one where I asked if you enjoyed it."

Yuffie sighed and her cheeks colored in a blush. "From what I can remember—and unfortunately that's _everything_—it was very good," she muttered. "Strange thing is… I don't feel as angry as I thought I would. Of course, it pisses me off that he seduced me while I was drunk, but I don't feel the need to cry a river and slit my wrists because some complete stranger deflowered me. He's gonna get a kick in the nuts if he tries it again, but that doesn't mean that… I wouldn't mind if it happened again."

"Yuffs… do you like him?" Tifa asked with wide eyes.

The ninja shook her head and placed the boots that were left in the closet into her large suitcase. "No—maybe—I don't really know," she muttered, carefully placing her lap-top between a couple of shirts. "On one side, he's this total asshole who blackmailed me into marrying him and then seduced me on our wedding night. On the other, he was really something else when we went to the restaurant that time and he took care of me. I won't say he's not sexy, but he pisses me off most of the time when we're in the same room."

Tifa gave her a smart look. "Why not get to know him and make the most of this whole marriage?"

"Because he's been picking at me from the moment we met. He's challenged me and cornered me and he thinks he's won. I'll get to know him after _I _win this game he started," Yuffie said fiercely.

Tifa just sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Can you drive by yourself, or do you want me to take you?" she asked, helping Yuffie haul off her suitcase.

"I'll take her. Do you want something to eat?" Cloud asked, taking the suitcase and walking with Yuffie towards the door.

Tifa smiled and shook her head. "I'm going to shower and then to sleep. Thanks anyway," she said, before walking off.

Cloud watched her walk away until she was in her room and he ignored Yuffie's cunning look. He just shook his head and they made their way out. "How's Valentine treating you? Do you need for me to cut his brakes or something of the sort?" Cloud asked her.

Yuffie gave a small snort and shook her head. "Naw, we're okay for now. He's pissing me off, as usual, but I can handle him. Don't worry about me, Cloud. Thanks though, I really appreciate it."

"Anything, anything at all happens, or he hurts you, you let me know," Cloud said seriously.

"Promise," Yuffie said as they walked out into the garage of the building and to his own SUV. They chatted a little more as he drove her towards her new home with Valentine. Once there, he helped her with the suitcase and drove off once Yuffie entered through the gate and began to walk towards the house.

She let out a deep breath and nearly jumped when the door opened and she saw Vincent standing on the other side. The look on his face was murderous, and Yuffie wondered if he would yell at her or just simply slug her for being gone all day. If he ever did physically assault her, she'd send him to prison faster than he could blink. She smiled a saccharine smile and dragged in the suitcase, trying to ignore the throb in her arm and the pain that she could feel approaching as the anesthetic began to wear off. "Don't just stand there like a bump on a log. Help me!" she snapped. He didn't move and Yuffie rolled her eyes as she kept dragging the luggage towards the bedroom.

"Where were you all day?" he asked calmly, like the calm before the storm hit with spectacular force.

"With Tifa. Why? Is that a problem? Was I supposed to ask for your permission to go out?" she asked snidely. "Might I remind you that you're _not_ my father?"

Unfortunately for Yuffie, he didn't seem to be in a very cheerful mood now. He grabbed her arm and forcefully turned her, not realizing that his fingers were digging right into the bullet wound that was not as numb as she had thought. She let out a muffled cry and tried to pull away, but he held tight without realizing the pain that he was causing her. Since she had pulled on a long sleeved shirt, she had been able to hide her injury, but with the way he was squeezing her, blood seeped through the gauze, bandages, and even the sleeve.

Vincent stared down at his blood coated fingers and then shoved her sleeve up as Yuffie struggled and cursed at him because of the pain. "What is this? Show me the wound," he nearly growled.

"You fucking idiot! Can't you tell that it hurts?" she yelled at him, scowling when he gripped her uninjured arm and shook her a little. His withering glare just made her huff, and she removed the bandages and showed him her wound.

"This is a bullet wound. Care you explain once more where you were all day?" Vincent asked her darkly, dragging her towards the bedroom and pulling out his phone.

"How do you know it's a friggin' bullet wound?" Yuffie snapped, nearly falling off of the couch in the bedroom when he put her on it. He walked into the bathroom and when he came out, he was holding a towel and talking on the phone to someone. He had her place the towel to stop the blood that had started to leak out from Cloud's previous cure, and then closed his phone.

"I was a Turk for many years, Yuffie. I can recognize any weapon inflicted injury," he replied. "Now, tell me where you were, unless you want to see how angry I can get."

"What are you gonna do? Hit me? Try it. Even with one arm, I can still kick your ass. Don't think that this is all new to me. I've been shot at before."

Vincent stared her down. "Who shot at you this time?" he asked, moving to kneel in front of her.

"Some jerk we ran into earlier," Yuffie muttered evasively.

He tilted her chin so that their eyes could meet, and the look in his was pretty damned intimidating. Yuffie tried to move away, but his fingers tightened on her jaw and he brought them even closer together. "Tell me… where… you were," he said seriously.

Yuffie's eyes never left his and then she smirked. "Take a guess."

Vincent let out the most irritated sigh Yuffie had ever heard in her life. "You were stealing," he said flatly. "From where?"

"Nowhere," she said, the smirk still on her face.

"Did you leave blood at the crime scene?" Yuffie shook her head. Vincent checked her wound. "Good. From now on, I don't want to hear that there was another robbery in this city again. While you are married to me, you are to remain in a legitimate job if you'd like, but I don't want you stealing anymore. Do not challenge me on this, Yuffie," he said when she opened her mouth to argue with him. "If I even suspect that you have been stealing again, I will turn in the video and send you to prison. The last thing I want is for my company to be involved in some scandal if you get caught. Do we understand each other?"

"That's kinda stupid logic. Your company will be in a scandal once you turn in the video anyway. So if I get caught or you turn me in, you lose. Your company loses. That's the price you'll pay for blackmailing me into marrying you," she said smugly.

"Don't ever steal again, Yuffie. I know you don't believe that I'll turn you in, but there are other things I can do to make you disappear," he threatened.

Yuffie stared into his eyes in challenge. He was threatening to kill her? Well, maybe she'd steal all of his things and sell it all for fifty gil! "Are you planning on making Tifa and Cloud disappear too? They won't just sit around and wait for my obituary to come out in the papers. They _will _look for me, and if they can't find me, they'll make you pay."

Vincent watched her, those almond shaped dark eyes and knew that her friends would go through great lengths for her, the same she would do for them. Despite being a thief, and being stubborn, he also knew that she was the type to be loyal to those who mattered to her. Too bad that didn't mean she'd be loyal to him. A short while later, one of the maids knocked on the door to let him know that there was a woman there, asking for him.

"Who did you call?" Yuffie asked, propping her boots onto the coffee table and ignoring his glare.

"A proper doctor. Whoever fixed your arm did a fine job of it, but I'm willing to bet you didn't see a doctor. Right?" Vincent asked, opening the door to the room and allowing the doctor in.

Yuffie just sat back and huffed to herself as a woman stepped into the room and she and Vincent exchanged a few words. They seemed to be long time friends but Yuffie didn't particularly care at the moment, with her arm on fire with pain and all. The woman smiled and walked over to sit next to her. "Getting into trouble already, Miss?" she asked her.

"Trouble's my middle name," she said with a smirk, noticing that one of her eyes was shut completely, even though it didn't detract from the fact that she was a very pretty woman.

"You have your hands full with her, Vincent," said the doctor with a smile. He just gave her an annoyed look and turned to Yuffie. "I'm Shalua, by the way. Shalua Rui."

"It's nice to meet you. Call me Yuffie please."

"Okay, Yuffie. Let's take a look at your arm and see what we have," Shalua said, removing the towel and then the gauze that Vincent had upset. "This is a GSW," she murmured.

"Will you have to amputate her arm?" Vincent asked sarcastically, ignoring Yuffie's middle finger.

Shalua smiled and shook her head. "Of course not. It's just a scratch compared to other wounds I've seen before. It had already been properly cleaned and stitched, what happened?"

"Smart guy over there squeezed my arm right over the wound," Yuffie replied, wincing as Shalua began to clean the wound and then fix it once more.

"Vincent always did have a way with women," Shalua said conspiratorially.

"You're telling me," Yuffie said.

Vincent scowled as they continued to talk as if he wasn't even there. Putting an ex of his in a room with his wife—no matter how fake and reluctant she was—was proving to be a bad idea. He merely stepped out of the room to get Yuffie some type of drinking alcohol to help ease the pain a little, and so that she would be able to sleep.

"So… you and he were some type of item?" Yuffie asked.

"A long time ago," Shalua replied. "Does that bother you?" she asked softly.

Yuffie grinned and shook her head. "No. I like you, even though we just met. How long ago were you with him?"

Shalua thought back and hummed. "About seven years. We were both twenty and I was a doctor for Shinra back when he…" she trailed off and bit her lip.

"… when he used to be a Turk?" Yuffie asked smartly.

Shalua looked at her curiously. "Did he offer that piece of information to you willingly?"

"Not really. But I have my way of finding things out," Yuffie said, another wince crossing her features as Shalua wrapped her arm with clean gauze and then handed her a sling so that she would move it the least possible for the next few days.

"You really are trouble, aren't you?" Shalua asked with a smile. "But he always did enjoy a challenge. I think that's why he and I didn't work out. I was too laid back and soothing for him."

Yuffie found the opening to ask. "Did you ever hear about him and this Lucrecia woman?"

Shalua's eyes met hers and she sighed. "I may have heard a few things. Has he told you anything about her?"

The ninja shook her head. "He doesn't volunteer information about past conquests, and as far as I know, many have only heard rumors about him and that woman."

"That's because she broke his heart or something of the sort. She married his foster father," said Shalua in a low voice.

"What!?" Yuffie exclaimed. She had no more time to keep questioning Shalua because Vincent stepped back into the room and handed her a glass filled with golden liquid.

"What's all the noise?" he asked.

Shalua gave her a look and Yuffie just lowered her eyes in response. "Nothing, I just happen to be shot in my friggin' arm. Would you prefer it if I sang instead of screamed?"

"She's good," Shalua said, cleaning up the gauze and the latex gloves stained with blood. "The arm should be as good as new in about two to three weeks, considering that you take care to not make many sudden movements and no lifting with it. Otherwise you may upset the stitches and reopen the injury. I will leave you a prescription for painkillers that you can get now if you wish, and they should help you with the pain. Just give me a call once you run out in case you need more."

"Thank you, Shalua," Vincent said with a slight smile.

"My pleasure. Just don't get into more trouble, Yuffie. There's only so much I can do to hide these types of visits," said Shalua lightly.

"Sorry you had to come here so late. Maybe you can come by some day for drinks and we can talk a little more about our mutual acquaintances," Yuffie said, eyeing Vincent slyly.

Shalua smiled and nodded. "One of these days. Now I must get going," she said, grabbing her things and walking out with Vincent.

Yuffie sighed to herself and walked to her suitcase to grab a pair of her pajamas. She was in the process of trying to get into her shirt when Vincent stepped back into the room. He took in the curve of her waist and hips and felt that familiar burn in his body. Though she was very much irritating at times, he couldn't deny that she had a very tantalizing body.

She nearly jumped when she felt hands on her hips, curving around to caress the firm flatness of her stomach. Yuffie grit her teeth and fought off the shiver she felt run down her spine. "Get. Your. Hands. Off. Me," she said slowly and promising pain if he didn't.

"You owe me for being gone all day," he murmured, his nose bumping against her cheek as he pressed into her back.

"I was shot at today, I'm tired and I'm in pain. Get lost, won't you?" she snapped, moving away from him and slipping into bed. "Go sleep in the guest room or something," Yuffie added, settling onto the middle of the large bed and throwing a couple of pillows at him. "I need rest and I don't want you to accidentally hit my arm while I'm asleep."

"This is my room," Vincent said darkly.

"It's _ours_ now, honey," she replied cheekily before shutting her eyes and pulling the covers over her chin.

Vincent just sighed in annoyance and walked off to get a shower, even though it was close to two in the morning now. By the time he finished and pulled on a pair of pajama pants, Yuffie was sound asleep and had curled onto her side over her good arm. He slipped into the bed and watched her for a moment, contemplating why she did the things she did.

None of the things she had stolen remained in her possession, and the money she received from selling the items was always given to charity; he'd checked into her bank accounts and found no suspiciously large amounts of gil either way. He'd checked into several of the charities that had received anonymous donations of large amounts of gil, and there had been many. He supposed that there could be other people giving that much money away anonymously, but he had a feeling that Yuffie and her friends were behind most of them. Despite acting like a child most of the time, she had a good heart and she wanted to help those in need.

"Insolent child," he murmured, running a gentle thumb across her cheek. _'You will yield to me,' _Vincent told her silently.

……………

After a week of not training and spending her time bored out of her mind, with only Tifa to come visit and call her, Yuffie took off the sling and decided to visit her father to quell his worry over not seeing her for so long. Too bad Godo was in a meeting that he wouldn't get out of for hours. Instead, she opted for visiting her sweet, sweet husband. Aerith smiled slightly from her desk and opened her mouth to protest Yuffie's abrupt entrance.

"I'm his wife. I'm allowed into his office at any time I wish, right?" She asked with a wink; Aerith just smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, he won't be angry," Yuffie said with a smirk before barging into the office.

Vincent turned from where he was standing in front of a large board with digital files displayed on a project he was working on for his company. "Have you ever heard of knocking?" he asked in irritation.

Yuffie grinned to herself and tapped her foot. "Aww, are we feeling frustrated?" she asked him in a teasing tone. The past week she had blown off his advances to get her back in bed, and it was clear that he didn't enjoy being denied. "You're not getting your kicks from somewhere else, are you?" she asked suspiciously.

"As much as I would enjoy seeing your face if I told you I have, I'm not. I'm not interested in the media tearing my company apart because of some illicit affair. Feel smug, you're the only one," Vincent replied, turning to look at his TV where the stocks were being displayed.

Yuffie did feel smug, but she knew enough about men to know that he would eventually get tired of her refusals and he _would _look for someone else. She didn't know if it bothered her, but… but she wasn't one to sit around idly and get cheated on. She stepped over to the board his project was on and took it in with a critical eye. "Are you interested in saving more money and getting better quality?" she asked him smartly.

Vincent looked away from the stocks and noticed the way she was going over his project. Instead of answering right away, he let his eyes trail down and over the tiny shorts she was so fond of using. Though she had taken to using long sleeved shirts to hide the injury to her arm, it still showed off her midriff and stomach. He approached her silently, noting the way her skin broke into goosebumps as she felt him behind her. "I suppose you have a different idea for my project?"

"Just for one section of it," she said, before proceeding to explain just how he could go about saving money and getting better quality in fabrics.

It was quite an intriguing idea, Vincent noted as he listened to her explanation. He really hadn't known that Yuffie was really this skilled. He had seen her degrees, but he hadn't really taken them seriously, since she was too immature to really be _that _professional. Now he saw just how misleading she could be. Turning her around by her unhurt arm, he gazed down into her youthful face and noted the way she licked her lips. They made quite a strange sight, she in her normal revealing clothes, he in his expensive suit.

"You know," he said casually. "Smart women are a turn on for me."

"Too bad manipulators are a turnoff for me," Yuffie replied mockingly. She gasped when his arms closed around her like a vice and pressed her to the front of his body. Her arm had healed well, but it still ached and there was a scab that she tried to ignore, lest she pick at it all day. His crimson eyes were on her lips as she tried to push away from him, but Yuffie couldn't deny that getting kissed at the moment wouldn't be a bad idea, especially with how good he looked wearing that spiffy pinstripe suit he had opted to wear.

Yuffie's lips quirked into a smirk, and Vincent took that as his chance to kiss her. He gripped her hips and pushed her towards the edge of his desk never breaking their contact. His hands then cupped her face and tilted her face back more as the kiss intensified until Yuffie made a noise in the back of her throat. They were too busy sucking on each other's lips to hear the door opening until a throat cleared.

"Well… what have we here? Having a bit of fun during business hours?"

Vincent pulled away from Yuffie and they both turned to the man at the door. He was standing with Lucrecia and he had a leer on his face, far too creepy for Yuffie's taste. She moved off of the desk and noticed the look on Vincent's face. He didn't look particularly happy to see the man. "What can I help you with Hojo?"

Hojo cackled a little and his eyes settled on Yuffie, sending his dark gaze from the top of her head, to the tip of her boots. Vincent subtly stepped in front of her and Hojo's gaze moved back to him. "Is that any way to treat your dear father? You married and you didn't even invite me to your wedding!"

Vincent noticed the look on Yuffie's face out of the corner of his eye. "It was not my fault that you weren't in the country."

"Oh, but Lucrecia was. Did you invite her?" asked Hojo in a drawling tone.

Vincent's eyes met hers and Lucrecia just looked away from them. "Once more, what brings you here?" he asked, all business.

"I just wanted to visit you, my son. But I can see that you are busy. I must leave Lucrecia here so that she can wait for that report Rufus Shinra needs. I must get back to my lab. Don't be such a stranger boy, it pained me to know that you started a new life without your family," said Hojo, his eyes drifting from Yuffie to Lucrecia.

"That's your dad?" Yuffie muttered as Hojo walked out the door.

"Don't ask," Vincent replied, turning to look at Lucrecia as she stood uncertainly by the door. "Why don't you go home and wait for me there? Remember the deal we made."

Yuffie's eyes narrowed, and she didn't miss the look on Vincent's face as he gazed at the other woman. Despite Vincent's take on being faithful for his reputation, she had to wonder if that was on his mind at the moment. Standing in front of them was the woman who had supposedly broken his heart and no one could really confirm that. It must've been really hidden if people had only heard rumors about them being together. "You're throwing me out," she said in a low tone.

Vincent turned to look at her fully and he shook his head. "It's business Yuffie, nothing more," he said seriously.

Despite his tone, she couldn't find it in herself to believe him. "Right," she muttered.

He realized that maybe making her angry wasn't the best thing to do at the moment. He wasn't kicking her out because he preferred Lucrecia, but because he didn't want Yuffie to start some type of argument with the other woman. Besides, Yuffie was prone to punch people when she felt wronged. He knew that first hand. "Yuffie…"

"Bite me," she sneered before storming past him, shoving him as she went, and nearly doing the same to Lucrecia, though she saw it and moved out of the way in time.

Vincent sighed heavily as the door slammed closed and turned to look at Lucrecia. "Take a seat and I will have Aerith bring the reports," he said evenly.

Lucrecia looked at him and sighed. "I didn't think you and she were so serious, even with the marriage. I had thought… that maybe she was just a whim to you."

"She's my wife, Lucrecia," Vincent replied. "_You _left _me,_ remember?"

"Yes. But that doesn't make this hurt any less," she replied. "Do you love her?"

Instead of replying to her silent query, Vincent called Aerith and asked her to bring in the reports. Lucrecia watched him quietly and the fact that he hadn't answered her question gave her hope that maybe he wasn't in love with his wife. Maybe there was still hope for them and the love they had once shared.

……………

"I thought the doctor told you not to make any sudden movements and all that," said Tifa.

Yuffie shrugged and flexed the arm that had been shot. "I need to get it back to normal. It still hurts at odd moments, but I can't allow myself to slack in my training. Neither can you for that matter," she said as she swung around a wooden katana.

Tifa wrapped black dressings around both hands and flexed her fingers before grabbing her own training weapon. "Are you gonna tell me what has you all stressed out? Did Vincent lay you again?" she asked with a smirk.

"Not since our wedding night," Yuffie said nonchalantly.

"Is that why you're angry? Because he hasn't touched you again?"

"Dammit, Tifa, why do you always have to make smart questions?" Yuffie snapped before attacking. Tifa jumped back and took a defensive position. "And no. He's tried more than once, but I haven't let him touch me that way again. It's just… he—"

"Keep your guard up," Tifa called, seeing an opening and taking it.

Their wooden katanas clashed and Yuffie grimaced when her arm protested and twitched. "I saw this Lucrecia woman again. Valentine, basically threw me out of his office for her."

"Well, we already know that she's married to his foster father. She wouldn't be messing with them both, right?" Tifa asked as they clashed over and over, neither giving an inch in agility and strength.

"She has such a pretty, innocent looking air about her. I don't trust her," Yuffie said, dropping low to sweep her leg out and trip Tifa.

The long haired brunette saw it coming and flipped backwards and away. "You don't trust her because she's pretty?"

"I don't trust her because… because…" Yuffie trailed off, not liking the implications of her words. _'I don't trust her because I saw the look in Vincent's eyes when he looked at her,'_ she thought. Why did she care? Was she jealous? No. Impossible. "…Because a lot of people have told me that she broke his heart. What if she's back for more and she makes me look like the stupid gullible wife? No one, _no one_ outsmarts Yuffie Kisaragi!"

"Valentine," Tifa added smartly, ducking at the wood katana aimed for her face.

"I'm gonna kick your ass, Tifa," Yuffie growled.

"Come and get me," her cousin taunted.

Bad move, especially in the mood she was currently in.

………

Vincent stepped into Godo's home later in the evening, looking a bit worn around the edges and in need of a very stiff drink. He took a seat with his father-in-law and they sipped on the old man's favorite drink. "She seems very… stressed," Godo said tactfully.

"We had a little disagreement when she came to my office," Vincent replied. "Where is Yuffie now?"

"In her training room. I had it built expressly for her and Tifa to train in. They have used it since the age of five," he said proudly.

"You wanted your daughter to know how to fight?" Vincent asked with a raised brow.

Godo chuckled and shook his head. "I wanted her to be independent and strong. I may not have been there the entire time to look after her, but she grew up to make me proud."

Vincent just nodded silently and wondered how much of his daughter Godo truly knew. He wouldn't burst the old man's bubble though. He would let him keep the image he had of the little thief. "May I?" he asked, making a sweeping move with his hand.

"I will show you to the training room and leave you two to make up." Godo stood and they began to walk through the large mansion. There was a connecting hall with windows and a very nicely done pond on either side, complete with various plant life and koi fish. Vincent admired the home, but stopped at the double doors Godo led him to. "She is there now. Tifa just left and I assume Yuffie must be killing a few punching bags. You have no idea how many I have had to replace throughout the years," he said with a slight smile. "Vincent?"

"Yes?"

"Do not hurt her. She is my most precious treasure, and all I have left of her mother. You have no idea how much she means to me," said Godo quietly.

"I will try my very best." Vincent nodded and opened the door, slipping inside. His eyes rested on Yuffie, who was currently sitting in a very high portion of her training room. She looked as if she were meditating, her eyes closed and legs folded, sitting on a beam. He wondered if she had ever fallen off of a place that high.

"What do you want?" she asked, eyes still closed.

Vincent narrowed his eyes. "How did you know I was here?"

"I have super powers and I can see through my eyelids," she replied. "Say what you need to say and get out."

Vincent let out an annoyed sigh. "I don't understand what I did to make you angry. I just asked you to leave me to business. Did I insult you in any way?" he questioned.

Yuffie's eyes opened then, and she threw herself back, falling from the beam. Vincent started, thinking that maybe she had fallen, but he watched her flip through the air easily to land on her feet as quietly as a cat. "Just the fact that you made me leave as soon as you saw a moment to be alone with her was an insult. Look, you're the one who pushed me into this marriage. If you're going to so obviously be with another woman, then I get to be with another man. I do what you do," she said with a shrug.

Vincent's eyes went dark. "I'm not with her," he nearly snarled, in her face in mere seconds. "And because I'm not, I expect you to honor our agreement and remain faithful as well."

Yuffie pretended to not hear his words. "You know, I did find Reeve and Genesis pretty hot," she said absently, turning to walk out of her training room and leaving Vincent silently fuming at her words.

He followed her up towards her room, thankful that they didn't run into Godo on the way, but he did slam the door with more force than necessary. "What was that about Tuesti and Genesis?"

Yuffie bit back a giggle at the look on his face and instead gave him a slightly bemused look. "I'm a young, pretty girl. I have a right to look, even though I can't touch," she said haughtily, making her way towards the bathroom.

Vincent took a moment to look around the room and noticed just how much it suited her. The colors were mainly blues, greens, and whites, and though it looked clean, sing she hadn't lived in it for a while, it had various touches of Yuffie. From the shurikens on the wall, to the various stuffed chocobos sitting in a corner bookcase. There were also pictures of herself, Tifa, Godo, and Cloud, and various books on business.

"I thought Shalua told you not to use your arm too much," he said, following her into the bathroom.

Yuffie glared at him, pausing in the removal of her shirt. "Do me a big favor and get out? I'm still not in the mood to talk to you."

"We need to talk about this. Your jealousy is unfounded," said Vincent.

Yuffie stopped to glare at him. "I'm not jealous!" she yelled. "It pisses me off because you threw me out as soon as you saw her! You talk about being faithful and blah, blah, blah, but the first chance you get, you lock yourself in your office with the woman who married your father."

"Foster father," Vincent said automatically.

"What's the difference?" she asked.

"A lot."

"Will you tell me about it? It would work towards me not being angry anymore," Yuffie muttered.

Vincent leaned against the doorframe and gave her a searching look. "I was with her after Shalua. Lucrecia and I were together for nearly four years, then she went and married my foster father. I don't call the man father because he wasn't a very good one. I was adopted when I was thirteen by him and his first wife. He saw me as more of an investment than anything else but to his credit, he never mistreated me. After my mother died, he pushed me to join the Turks, and I became a killer. I met Lucrecia long before she and Hojo were together, but she had other things in mind. She wanted to rise in Shinra, to become the businesswoman she is now, and at the time, my company wasn't what it is today. There… does that make you feel any better?" he asked her flatly.

Yuffie cleared her throat and noticed the cold look that had entered his eyes. She guessed that maybe Lucrecia had damaged things too bad for Vincent to ever want to get back with her again. She sighed and felt a little guilty. "Yeah. I do feel a little better. She's like your foster mother now," she said with a smirk. It died at the glare on his face. "But… I need to know that you won't ever deny me my place in front of her from now on. Treat me like your wife, even though we have a false marriage."

Vincent nodded and understood her reasoning. "Fine. I will do as you ask."

The ninja sighed in satisfaction and turned on the shower until steam began to fill the room. Her eyes met his and she pulled her shirt over her head. "I'm gonna take a shower now," she murmured. "I wouldn't mind some company." She stripped off the rest of her clothing, feeling anxiety and embarrassment at how bold she was being before she stepped into the water and used it as a distraction for her blush.

After a few minutes of waiting, Yuffie wondered if he had decided to leave her alone instead, and she felt like kicking herself. He probably wasn't as attracted her as she had thought, and though she tried to convince herself it didn't bother her, it was a blow to her ego. But then the glass door slid open and he stepped inside, minus any stitch of clothing. The nervousness came back tenfold, and Yuffie tensed as his hands settled on her hips. Then his lips worked their magic, and the tenseness melted away into bliss.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Ha, no smut in this chapter, sorry. So there were a few tidbits of Vincent's past, though through the chapters more will be known and in the next chapter, Yuffie finds herself alone with Lucrecia. What ever will happen? Also, I liked throwing Shalua in there. I liked her in DoC, even though I loathed Shelke from the start. She'll probably make a few more appearances in the future. Can't say, but I'll try to update sooner this time. Thank you so very much for the reviews for the last chapter, and I do hope I can keep up with replying to everyone, but if I can't, know that I appreciate your opinions very much. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and that you have a great weekend!

Joey


	8. Mind Games

_Warnings: Language and an adult scene towards the end. Be warned!_

……………………………………

**Mind Games**

……………………………………

Yuffie stared up at the canopy of her old bed. The mattress was soft, though it had started out as firm years before. She was wrapped in an old, worn robe that was of her favorite green, and she was comfortable. More than that, she was relaxed and her muscles felt limp and boneless.

"You know, many people would call that pity sex," Vincent muttered from her left.

Yuffie's eyes slid to his and she rolled them. "And are any of those people here?"

Vincent shifted to his side to face her and swept his gaze over her relaxed face, and her silky hair. "No. But I thought you didn't want me to touch you without your permission," he muttered.

"You know… I gave you permission when I invited you into the shower," she replied.

"_Why_ did you do it?" he asked, genuinely interested to know her reasoning.

Yuffie shrugged. "Curiosity. Whether I like it or not, you're the first man to over touch me that way. You opened up a can of worms, and now I'm curious to see just how good it can get," she said with a smirk.

"And? How has it been so far?" Vincent murmured, closing the distance between them.

"Acceptable," she replied, smirking when his eyes narrowed at her challenge.

"How about we change that acceptable to mind blowing?" he asked, pulling her against him and then sliding her over to straddle him.

"Again?" she asked breathily.

"_You _opened up the can of worms," he said mockingly, untying her robe and pushing it off her shoulders.

Yuffie's eyes slid closed and for the moment decided to once again forget just how much she was supposed to dislike her blackmailing, fake husband. There would be plenty of time for that later.

……………

Tifa's eyes slid over Zack's face silently. He was a very handsome man with sharp features, smooth skin, and a very charming smile. He was every woman's dream. Those amazing eyes drifted over to her from where he had been gazing off into the distance, and she fought down the girlish blush as his eyes glittered gleefully.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, leaning back on one elbow and stretching his long frame out.

"Nothing," Tifa murmured bashfully, her fingers picking at the red and white picnic blanket underneath them. It had been totally cliché for him to take her out on a picnic, complete with the large basket filled with food, but she couldn't deny that it turned her insides to complete jelly. She had always loved romance, and Zack seemed to be that kind of man.

"Where do you see us going?" Zack asked her, eyes on hers.

Tifa cleared her throat at his forwardness. "I don't know. Where would you like us to go?" she asked, laying down on her stomach right next to him, her long hair falling over her shoulders in a long waterfall.

Zack's fingers trailed over the silky strands and he smiled. "Maybe I want you to be my girlfriend."

"Maybe, or are you sure?" Tifa asked with a grin.

"I'm very sure," said Zack quietly, moving towards her, their lips barely brushing. "I kind of would like an answer."

"Yes," she replied quietly, their lips brushing. Then she giggled before he could kiss her.

"What?" asked Zack, pulling back slightly to look at her without going cross-eyed.

"You smell like cheese," she said around more laughs.

"Oh, yeah?" he asked, pushing her onto her back and kissing her with so much pent up passion that it stole her breath away, cheese breath forgotten. "Well, you taste like strawberries," he murmured, leaning in to give her small, brief kisses, pinning her hands to the picnic blanket. "Not a bad thing," Zack said, his teeth tugging on her bottom lip.

"Maybe we should take this elsewhere," Tifa nearly breathed. "Unless you want to go to jail for corrupting children," she said with a look towards the playground many feet away.

"They can't see anything from there," he replied, leaning in to steal another kiss.

His words made her laugh again, but she pushed him away and sat up. "Come on, you exhibitionist. We should get going, and maybe I'll invite you to my place for some _coffee_," she said with a wink.

Zack sat up quickly and helped her pack up the things. He didn't mind waiting to be with Tifa, after all, just feeling her hand in his as they walked back to his car was enough for him. For now.

…………

Yuffie took a look around Vincent's office where she was standing alone and smirked to herself as she remembered the night she had robbed it. Not the smartest move in her life, but it wasn't turning out so bad. She still felt annoyed by the way he had pulled her into his life, but she could admit that the sex was more than phenomenal. Vincent certainly knew what he was doing. Still smirking, as she had been more prone to do the last week after her marriage to Valentine, Yuffie took a seat at his desk, in his chair and looked around the office slowly.

Then the door opened and in stepped the last person she had expected to see so soon. Lucrecia's eyes were wide as she looked back at Yuffie, and she made to leave, but the ninja stopped her. "Come in, Lucrecia. Were you looking for _my husband_?" she asked calmly.

Lucrecia eyed her silently. "I wanted to drop off some completed contracts that Vincent needs to go over. How are you, Miss Yuffie."

Yuffie eyed the other woman coolly. "That's Mrs. Valentine, and you would do well to remember that."

The other woman gave her a guarded look. "Pardon me?"

"I know about you and Vincent, Lucrecia. Frankly, I can' t understand _why_ you preferred Hojo over him, but I must thank you, since _I'm _married to him now," said Yuffie, crossing her legs and swaying from side to side on the comfortable, leather chair.

"I am aware of that," Lucrecia said evenly.

"Good, then my warning for you to not get any funny ideas about trying to get Vincent back should be quite clear. Right?" Both were silent for a long moment. "Why did you do it? Didn't you love Vincent? Was your love for money and power greater than what you felt for him?" Yuffie was genuinely curious to know what had motivated the other woman to break Vincent's heart.

Lucrecia looked flustered. "I did love him… it's just that I… I was young and I didn't think things through when I accepted to marry Hojo."

The look on her face led Yuffie to believe that she still felt something for Vincent. "You still love him, don't you?" Yuffie asked, standing and walking towards the woman.

"Why are you asking me this?" Lucrecia asked, trying to back away towards the door.

"Because, honestly? I don't like you, or that innocent look on your face. I know you still want Vincent, but if you try to make a move on him, I'll…"

The door opened once more, and Vincent stepped into his office, giving both women a curious look. He looked towards Yuffie and noted the evil glint in her eyes as she eyed him and Lucrecia. "Were you taking advantage of the fact that Aerith wasn't at her work station?" he asked her.

Yuffie shrugged and walked over to take a seat on his desk chair once more. "I was just getting to know your ex-girlfriend," she said casually.

Lucrecia's eyes darted to Vincent and she quickly handed over the portfolio in her hands. "I was just going to leave it over your desk, but these are the contracts you needed to see. I should go, I know you're always so busy," she said with a forced smile before she nearly rushed out the door.

Vincent shut the door and turned to Yuffie. "What did you do to her? She was very close to running out of here."

The ninja shrugged and gave him a cool look. "I just made a few things clear. It's nothing you should worry your pretty head over," Yuffie said smugly.

"So, to what do I owe the _pleasure_ of your company?" he nearly purred.

Yuffie rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I'm bored at home. I train and usually I plan to steal stuff, but you're making my life miserable. I thought you wanted us to keep up this charade," she nearly whined.

"What are you getting at?" Vincent asked, moving to her side to go through various papers on his desk.

"Aren't we supposed to be like a perfect couple? How come we haven't gone on our fake honeymoon?" she asked, her eyes taking in the very nice sight of his backside since he wasn't wearing his suit coat. He may have been on the slim side, but Vincent had a nice ass on him; her hands could attest.

"I don't have time to make a trip right now," he replied, pulling her out of his chair so that he could sit down instead.

Yuffie glared at him. "I'm getting restless, and when I'm restless I tend to steal. Now unless you want to go through with your threat about sending me to prison, we need to get out of this place for a couple of weeks. Otherwise, I saw this really nice diamond and sapphire necklace that is valued in more than a million gil all by itself," she trailed off.

Vincent set down his contracts and pushed his chair away to pull her into his lap. "If you want jewelry so badly, I can just buy it for you," he said, hands on her hips and lips on her neck.

"Seriously, have you not gotten enough this last week?" she asked him with a breathless laugh.

Instead of replying, Vincent stood and hauled her effortlessly onto his desk, right over the papers had only recently been going over. "I'm the one that's curious now," he murmured before kissing her, sliding his hands up her thighs.

"Hey, Vince—"

Both broke apart and turned to look over at Zack as he stared at them with wide eyes and a smirk on his lips. Vincent sighed in irritation. "Does no one remember how to knock?" He had seriously lost count of how many people had barged into his office the last week.

"On a desk, Vince? Kinky. But just remember to lock the door unless you want one of the investors or someone else to walk in here to find you canoodling your wife over the contracts you're supposed to review," Zack said mirthfully. "I just wanted to remind you of the lunch meeting we have in exactly thirty minutes. Being late is very déclassé, so hurry up and make the wife happy before we have to go?" he asked with a smirk before locking the door from inside and then shutting it as he left.

Yuffie turned to look at Vincent and couldn't manage to stop the blush. Despite the fact that they had only recently gotten to know each other in a very physical sense, she still didn't know who this man in front of her was, even after all she had read on him and what he had been before. "Don't tell me you're feeling shy now," he whispered, his warm lips moving over her bare shoulder.

"Well, yeah. Zack knows something is going on now, we can't seriously continue," Yuffie muttered.

"Why not? Zack isn't the type to go gossiping to the office staff. He knows when to keep quiet," Vincent whispered, using deft fingers to undo her shorts.

"Sweet Leviathan," Yuffie muttered as he pulled her off the desk and turned her to lean over it. "I'm going to kick the shit out of you for making me do this." But she wasn't complaining. When had she turned into a total doormat at the thought of being touched by this man?

………

"I'm enjoying this too much," Yuffie muttered as she and Tifa sat by the pool of Vincent's home. It had taken her a few days to actually scope out the entire place and it was nowhere near as massive as Godo's mansion, but it came quiet close. Vincent had his own training room, complete with a shooting range, many weights and other exercise machines, and right outside was the pool, which was covered by a high ceiling, even though it was outdoors.

"Why is that?" Tifa asked, sipping on a fresh fruit juice that Elmyra had prepared for them.

"Geez, Tifa you're gonna think that I'm some kind of sex crazed maniac, but… but…" Yuffie trailed off helplessly.

"You let him do it to you again?" Tifa asked, eyes only a touch wide.

Yuffie nodded shamefully. "More than once. _Way _more than once. The last time was in his office," she muttered, blushing at the memory of his hands on her hips.

Tifa sniggered. "Zack told me about that one," she admitted.

Yuffie wanted to throw herself in the pool and drown in mortification. Too bad she knew how to swim. "Vincent was convinced that Zack wouldn't tell anyone."

"Well, I'm not just anyone. I just so happen to be Zack's girlfriend," she said with a grin. "Plus I'm your cousin, so I still find out things one way or another."

"You're his girlfriend now? Isn't it too soon?" Yuffie asked, sipping at her drink.

Tifa shook her head and looked dreamy for a moment. "We've been out more often than you know. I've gotten to know a great deal on him and him of me. I just… I feel so comfortable with him. He treats me like a queen and when we go out, it's like there's a spotlight on me and all his attention is mine. He's that amazing."

"Have you sealed the deal yet?" Yuffie asked smartly. Her cousin glared slightly. "Come on, I've told you about me and Vincent, why can't you tell me about you and Zack?"

Tifa sighed and shook her head. "Not yet. But we're getting to the point where the tension is thick," she said with a little smirk.

"What was your first time like?" Yuffie asked curiously.

"Horrid," Tifa muttered. "And I regret giving my virginity to that ass all those years ago. I was young and naïve and he left me after he got what he wanted."

"Who was he?" Yuffie asked. She had never dared to ask Tifa about the first guy in her life, she had been barely fifteen and heartbroken after he had left, but they were older now, and Yuffie knew that Tifa had gotten past it.

Tifa's eyes took on a faraway look. "His name was Sephiroth. He was one of the most conceited boys I had ever met."

"Popular too, if I remember correctly," Yuffie put in.

"Yeah. He was so cute, I remember him clearly, but his ego was larger than life and he thought himself a god. I wonder what happened to him," Tifa said vaguely.

Yuffie shrugged. "You'll tell me about Zack, right?"

Tifa grinned and nodded. "Is there anything we don't say to each other?"

Her cousin shook her head. "You're my sister, and I love you," Yuffie said, squeezing the other brunette's hand. "Now, I need you to help me plan another heist."

Tifa smirked. "I thought Valentine made you swear not to steal anymore."

"Yeah, well I'm kinda peeved at him right now."

"Despite the good sex?"

Yuffie snorted. "Yeah, despite the _great _sex—though he'll never hear me say that—but he refuses to take me on a trip, and we both know that I need to occupy my time with something, otherwise I get restless and—"

"—into trouble," Tifa finished for her.

"I warned him about it and he didn't take me seriously. Now, I have something in mind that will challenge all our other heists. We will take a couple of months to prepare for this one."

Tifa nodded and listened. "This is a maximum security place. Are you sure it's someone's home?"

Yuffie nodded. "Rufus Shinra's place," she muttered.

Her cousin gave her an incredulous look. "Didn't we discuss this place when we first started robbing?"

"Yeah. The place is a fortress, but we were at the start of our game. We've done many jobs and we're not amateurs anymore," Yuffie said seriously.

Tifa agreed with her reasoning, but hitting someone like Rufus Shinra? It wouldn't be the easiest of things, even with the experience they had now. They would have to bribe, hack, and worm their way into blueprints of the compound, the security system, _and_ of the safe they would steal from. "Can it be done, Yuffs?"

Yuffie's look was serious. "Yes."

"Can what be done?" asked Vincent, walking out just at the end of their conversation.

"Can your ego become any bigger?" Yuffie asked with a smirk. "That was the question Tifa was asking me."

"Really?" he asked with a smirk, looking towards Tifa, who just sipped on her juice and tried to look innocent. "Zack is eating my week's supply of food. Maybe you should join him in the kitchen," he said with meaning.

Tifa just nodded and winked at Yuffie before walking off towards the house. "That was pretty rude, you know," the ninja said as he took a seat next in the chair that Tifa had vacated.

"I'll apologize to your cousin later," Vincent replied. "Now, I need you to work on something important, since you're so restless."

"And what would that be?" Yuffie asked, vaguely interested. If he suggested she do something as lame as redecorating his home or office, she'd dump her juice over his head. It was a shame too, the juice was pretty good.

"I need you to prepare a dinner party for a few guests, aside from us. There is an old friend who will come to visit after he moved out to Wutai. He'll be in town for a few days to work out a deal with my company," Vincent informed her.

Yuffie gave him a very flat look. "You're not serious, are you? Did our whole fake wedding not teach you that I _don't _plan anything aside from robberies?" she asked him as she stood from her chair and walked towards the main section of the house.

Vincent followed her. "You're my wife. It's your duty."

"You haven't done anything to please _me_ so far, why should I do anything for you?" Yuffie asked him.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," he murmured, turning her and pulling her to his chest before she could walk into the house. "As far as I remember, I've been pleasing you entirely too much this whole week."

"Don't act as if it's a chore that you got nothing out of," Yuffie said with a roll of her eyes. "I don't plan parties. I don't cook. Hell, let me tell you something about me that you can't possibly know. I eat cereal for breakfast, for lunch I usually go with Tifa to buy junk food, and before, she used to be the one who cooked dinner. I don't know how to cook, and I'm not inclined to learn. Call me spoiled, but I won't _ever _be the wife you want or need in your life. You should've thought better about the person you chose to blackmail into marriage," she said haughtily.

Vincent didn't know whether to chuckle at her words or run a hand through his hair in exasperation. Yuffie was entirely too stubborn and too spoiled. "I'm not asking you to cook. I'm asking you to plan a party."

"Unless you want us to eat pizza on paper plates with wine in Styrofoam cups, I ain't doing it," she said, jabbing a finger into his chest to make her point hit home. She then turned and walked off, snickering to herself the entire way.

Vincent had to chuckle at her last words and resolved to call the same planner that had taken care of their wedding. He had known better than to even ask Yuffie to help out. She was right, she was a pro at stealing, and she knew her way around businesses, but simple house work like cooking and cleaning probably caused her to draw a blank. Godo had spoiled her entirely too much.

………

"Give me one good reason _why_ Lucrecia is here," Yuffie hissed as she and Vincent walked over to welcome the woman and Vincent's foster father. Godo had been the first to arrive, and he was sitting, talking quietly to Elmyra and Aerith while they enjoyed a glass of wine in the sitting room. Now Vincent's _family_ had arrived.

"Because the man coming tonight is actually my brother. He is the biological son of Hojo and his first wife," Vincent informed her.

"And you couldn't warn me beforehand?" she asked impatiently.

Vincent rolled his eyes and showed no amount of good cheer—though that wasn't saying much, and only showed politeness as he approached the other couple. Yuffie slipped her arm through Vincent's and eyed Lucrecia with a barely veiled challenge. But then Hojo had taken her hand and was kissing it and Yuffie had to try very hard to not rub her hand against her dress in an attempt to rid herself of his touch. She did however, force a smile as she watched Vincent do the same for his _stepmother._

"Has he arrived yet?" Hojo asked, giving Yuffie an appraising look.

She pinched Vincent just to vent a little anger out without punching the creepy old man out. He just stiffened and slipped her hand into his to give it a rather painful squeeze. "Maybe you should show them to the sitting room and I'll get the door," Yuffie hissed, nearly jerking her hand away from his before he let her go.

Yuffie marched off to get the door just as one of the maids did the same. She smiled when Tifa and Zack came into view, followed by Genesis and Reeve, who were speaking quietly to each other. "Where's Cloud?" Yuffie asked.

"In Rocket Town with Cid," Tifa said simply. "You look great!"

"So do you," Yuffie said, shaking hands with Zack before they walked towards the sitting room. She then turned to look at the two handsome men that followed and managed to blush as Genesis took her hand and pressed a smooth kiss to her knuckles. Wow, he was… wow.

"We are honored to be in the presence of such beauty tonight," said Genesis lightly.

Reeve nodded. "How are you, Miss Yuffie? How is marriage treating you?"

"She looks ravishing this night, doesn't she?" asked Vincent as he walked towards them.

"You mean, she looks even more beautiful than usual because she married you?" Genesis asked lightly.

Vincent smirked and only inclined his head slightly. "Please, come in. we're waiting for the guest of honor," he said, not missing the way that Genesis was looking at Yuffie. Reeve didn't appear to miss it as well, but he cautiously averted his eyes from Yuffie, lest he be caught in the glare of Vincent's eyes.

"Am I late?"

Everyone turned to look at the woman who had come up behind the men and Vincent had to smile warmly at her. He really did have fond memories of Shalua and he considered her one of his few friends. "Right on time," he replied, noting the way Reeve's eyes seemed to spark as he gazed at the woman.

"Yuffie, show them to the sitting room and introduce Shalua to Reeve, won't you?" Vincent asked her casually.

Yuffie noted with interest that Shalua looked quite interested in Reeve as well. "Sure. Shalua, this is Reeve Tuesti, a _very _successful and handsome business man…"

Vincent turned back to the door and his crimson eyes met with green-yellow eyes. "I think you need a haircut," he teased, voice still his usual monotone.

A smirk came over the other man's face. "I heard you finally got married. Nineteen? Couldn't have waited for her to be of legal drinking age, could you?"

"Sephiroth, good to see you again," Vincent said honestly.

"Brother," Sephiroth replied, shaking his hand. "The old man is here too? With his own prepubescent wife?"

"She's older than Yuffie," Vincent said as they walked into the house. "Besides, my wife isn't as young as you make her seem. She's legal."

"Just barely," Sephiroth replied. He looked up at the people that had gathered to welcome him and his eyes zeroed in on two familiar faces, and on the fact that they were holding hands.

"Sephiroth?" Zack asked.

"Zack," he said patiently, watching as he nearly dragged the woman next to him over. "Tifa," Sephiroth said quietly.

"Sephiroth," Tifa said dryly, her eyes meeting Yuffie's and watching her cousin's mouth nearly drop open. Tifa's attention went back to the tall, silver-haired man in front of her as he took her hand and kissed it, his eyes on hers the entire time.

"You two know each other?" Zack asked in surprise.

Tifa nodded. "We were in the same boarding school," Tifa replied, slipping her hand back into Zack's, giving Sephiroth a pointed look. "We knew each other in passing, but we were _never_ friends," she said seriously.

"Sephiroth, this is my wife," said Vincent, drawing attention away from a very thankful Tifa.

Sephiroth turned to him and Yuffie and smirked slightly as he took in the little thing next to his brother. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm sure you must be keeping my brother in check," he said with a chuckle.

Yuffie grinned cheekily and nodded. "Right you are. Vincent, I like him already. He seems to know women better than you do."

Many of the men chuckled at her comment and Vincent merely rolled his eyes. "How about we go on to dinner," he said as he and Yuffie showed everyone to the dining room where the food was just being placed down.

"Pizza and wine in Styrofoam would've been just as good," Yuffie muttered with a smirk, watching as a small smile curled his lips.

"We can hold a party to your liking next time," he told her, pulling out her chair for her to take a seat first.

The dinner was a nice. peaceful event, and Yuffie made sure that Lucrecia sat as far away from Vincent as possible, but within view of the both of them. There was just something about the woman that she didn't trust. It was more than likely that glint in those soft brown eyes. She may have looked meek, but Yuffie could tell Lucrecia hadn't given up, even after she had married Hojo. She would be a dangerous rival.

After dinner, as she sat with Tifa and Shalua, while Tifa tried not to look guilty at the small glare Aerith was sending her way, they watched the men drink and talk among each other. Lucrecia was speaking to Elmyra and Aerith a distance away, and Yuffie's keen eyes noticed Vincent excuse himself to use the restroom. A few minutes ticked on, and then Lucrecia quietly slipped away as well. "I'll be right back. I think I just caught a rat," Yuffie whispered at Tifa before she excused herself.

As she moved away from the guests, Yuffie pulled off her shoes for stealth and to minimize the noise, and tried to listen for any sound. Then she heard them talking in the main bedroom. Wow, this Lucrecia woman was a real piece of work. "I'm not really buying your marriage and love for that child," she was saying.

Yuffie nearly gave herself away with a scream of indignation at being called a child by that… _cow._ But she stayed quiet and listened.

"Respect my wife, Lucrecia. You left me to marry my foster father. We have discussed this time after time and you don't seem to understand that I was never willing to be second to him. I will not let you use me," Vincent snapped.

"I want to be with you. You have always known that my marriage to Hojo is a fake. Why won't you just give up your pride to be with me? I know that you still love me," she said impatiently.

Yuffie pursed her lips in anger, but decided to let it go. She didn't want to listen to anymore nonsense. Besides, all she had with Vincent was a physical relationship. Nothing more. She shouldn't have to care what he did with his life. They meant nothing to each other. She made her way back to their guests and put on her shoes before walking completely back towards the crowd. Her only hope was that Vincent and Lucrecia didn't decide to get physical in the bedroom. Yuffie wouldn't be able to stop herself from burning something down if that happened.

As she walked over to get a glass of wine, she stopped when Genesis took the bottle and poured it for her. "You seem… preoccupied," he murmured, voice low and with a seductive note to it.

Yuffie looked at him, taking in the near perfect red hair, and the attractive blue eyes. She wouldn't have minded having a man like him all over her. "Got a few things on my mind," she admitted.

"If I may be so bold, I find you very attractive. I think it's your eyes. You are a Wutain descendant?" he asked.

Yuffie noticed Vincent walk back first, Lucrecia nowhere in sight. Her eyes met crimson and she sent him a cold look before turning to Genesis and smiling slowly at him. "I was born in Wutai," she said quietly, causing him to lean forward a little to hear her. "I come from a long line of ninjas."

"Impressive," he complimented, touching her hand briefly.

Vincent happened to notice that, and he didn't like it one bit. His eyes narrowed and he moved over towards them, watching as Genesis whispered something that caused Yuffie to laugh and blush at the same time. "Having a good time?" he asked, voice tight and controlled.

Yuffie wondered just how much it had bothered Vincent to see her flirting with Genesis. That would teach him to stay in the bedroom with that other woman. "Genesis was just telling me a few things that he really likes about Wutai," she said with a smile.

"In particular, the women," Genesis said, eyeing Vincent as the other man settled a hand on Yuffie's back and gave him a warning glare. "We were just talking," he said lightly.

"Sure," Vincent said, ushering Yuffie away as she sipped her wine and tried not to look too pleased. "Stay away from him for the rest of the evening," he warned.

"Why should I, when you talk to your ex in what is supposed to be our bedroom?" she hissed right back. "I won't sit by and watch you make a fool of me without returning the favor." She marched away from him and walked over to sit with Tifa and Shalua, glaring at him the entire time.

Vincent let out a slow breath and resolved to deal with the problem once everyone left. It wouldn't do to have a verbal argument in front of everyone right now. He turned and found Sephiroth smirking in amusement at him from where he stood talking to Zack. He'd always had a very annoying knack for making sarcastic comments at the right time. Vincent just shook his head and smirked, telling his brother that everything was fine.

…

Well, she wasn't talking to him and Vincent had expected her to yell as soon as their last guests had left. She had simply walked into the bedroom, inspected the bed for any sign of wrinkles or something suspicious and out of place, and that was the last straw. "I didn't fuck her in under five minutes," he snapped.

Yuffie scowled as she pulled off her shoes and turned around just to hurl them at his head. He brought up a hand and only that prevented his eyes from being poked out by her high-heels. "Don't bullshit with me because I'm not in the mood!" she yelled.

"You sure seemed to be in a good mood with Genesis, why the sudden change?" he asked, closing the distance between them.

Yuffie smirked and pulled off her dress to pull on a pair of baggy pants and a tank top. "He has an amazing way with words, and he is a fine looking man too. What would you do if I accepted his advances, huh?" she asked tauntingly.

Vincent could only glare at her in anger before he had her pressed against the wall, devouring her lips and pinning her hands above her head and her body with his own. "Do you enjoy seeing me react this way?" he rasped against her throat, watching her gasp as one of his knees parted her thighs.

"Maybe," she hissed as his teeth nipped a little too hard on the skin of her throat. She used the strength she had gained during her years of training, of climbing ropes and lifting some weights as well, to push off the wall and catch him off guard. They went tumbling to the floor with her on top. "I heard what she said to you, Vincent, and never did I hear you kick her out of this room," she spat out.

Vincent tried to calm his breathing as he watched Yuffie above him, one hand bunched in his shirt, the other pulling painfully at his own hair. "I left the room because she wouldn't," he managed to explain. "I believe we're on the same page."

Yuffie let go of him and moved to stand, but his hands stopped her, flipping her onto her back so that he was on top. "A few years ago, I would've damned everything to be with her. Now…" Vincent trailed off, his eyes on hers.

"Now what?" she asked, just then realizing in what position they were in.

"Now I have _you_ to distract me from doing something stupid," he murmured, shifting so that he was pressed intimately against her.

Yuffie let out a shuddering breath as he moved down to kiss her, with teeth, and tongue, and lips. His hands made quick work of her clothes and of his, and he was inside her and nothing else mattered but the speed and the friction. The carpet, though soft to walk on, was hell on her back, chafing but adding to the sensations until she could feel her body rising to that point. She hadn't known it would be that good with a man that she didn't love and barely even liked.

Her nails were digging into his biceps and Vincent tried to control his own erratic breathing, but he couldn't. The thoughts of Yuffie with Genesis had made something in his stomach turn and something akin to jealousy had taken root in his head. He knew what jealousy felt like all too well. He had experienced it with Lucrecia when she had married his foster father, but he would not allow it to interfere with his plans for Yuffie. He wouldn't… his thoughts froze then at the feel of her and at the sound of his name falling from her lips. From those pink, luscious lips. He kissed her and lost himself.

A long while later, while she slept peacefully in what had become _their _bed, Vincent used the restroom to try to settle his thoughts and what he had begun to feel for that maddening _child_ sleeping in his bed. She had certainly learned quickly which buttons to push to make him lose his head. That didn't sit well with him and he had to find a way to get control back.

Looking through the various items behind the mirror over the sinks, trying to find something for the headache he could feel right behind his eyes, he found some pills hidden right behind some _feminine products._ He took the container curiously and realized that they were birth control pills. Smirking at his findings, Vincent tucked them back in where they had been. Those little pills could work to some advantage. He knew exactly what he would do with them.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

What is our evil Vinnie planning now? Can't say, but it was about time he got a taste of his own medicine. I already know who Tifa will end up with, but it's up to you whether or not you would like to see a smut scene between her and Zack. For the moment, they will be the couple, though it may change. I won't tell you all, since I want it to be a surprise when it happens. Let me know now, and then I will decide whether to squeeze their first time in one of the next chapters, or I'll just mention it in passing. This story does have a plot and won't only be about sex, that's why I'm asking for everyone's opinion. Also, Cloud has been laying low, but we'll see more of him soon. Another appearance from Sephiroth, though once more he's not related to Lucrecia. He wasn't originally in the plan, but as I was writing the dinner scene, he just jumped in there. Now I don't know if he'll be a permanent character just yet, but hopefully I'll decide by next chapter.

Back to Vincent and Yuffie, how do you think they're moving along now? There's no love, but there's definitely a spark and there's desire, and it'll be just that for a while. Up next, Vincent and Yuffie find common ground once more and there may even be a friendship in the works, and of course, we'll see more of Lucrecia since she's not the meek woman we saw in this chapter. Gotta go now, it's getting late, but I'm fairly happy with this chapter. Have a safe weekend!

Joey

P.S. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! You guys are the best reviewers ever!


	9. Selfish

……………………………………

**Selfish**

……………………………………

Zack knew that even if he protested, his words would go on deaf ears. Though he and Vincent considered each other good friends, he knew that Vincent did what he wanted regardless of Zack's opinion. Now was no different. "Are you sure that your plan is the best way to go with Yuffie? I mean… won't she try to kill you once she finds out what you did to her?"

"She'll have other things to worry about," said Vincent as he flipped through various stock channels.

"Like a screaming, crying kid? Do you really want to get her pregnant after you blackmailed her into marriage?" Zack asked.

"Look, I do consider you a friend, but I don't need for you to preach to me about what I should do or shouldn't do with my wife," Vincent said seriously, muting the TV so that he could look at Zack.

"You say wife like it means something. Yuffie doesn't see you as a husband. She just sees you as the man who forced her to tie her life to someone she doesn't want to be with," Zack said quietly.

Vincent stared at him. "Did Tifa tell you that?"

The blue-eyed man shrugged. "I may have overheard something, but what I mean is… don't bring an innocent kid into a world where his parents barely even get along. I know what I mean because my own family was split up ever since I could remember and it wasn't a good feeling to be stuck in the middle of that."

Vincent thought it over for a moment and then sighed. "I appreciate your point of view…"

"But you still want me to get you the fake pills," Zack said flatly.

"Yes. The way things are now, Yuffie can demand to get a divorce at any moment, especially with her knowledge of Lucrecia and our past. I married Yuffie so that I could influence Godo into making our companies one. I married her because I wanted Lucrecia to see that she does not control my life," said Vincent darkly.

"But do you still love Lucrecia?" Zack asked.

Vincent was quiet for a long moment, eyes slightly unfocused. "I… don't know," he finally murmured.

Zack shook his head. "Don't you care how you will hurt Yuffie? Did your years as a Turk completely kill any sense of honor you may have had?"

All Vincent could do was sigh again. The truth was that he did feel a little guilt, but it was always overshadowed by the fact that he wanted to bring down people like Shinra at any cost. They had been responsible for so many things, including the long ago war against Wutai, the pollution of Gaia, and they were also the cause of the so many homeless and orphaned children. But he couldn't lie and say that he wanted to be a hero. He just hadn't grown up as that type of man.

He wanted power—not to abuse it—but to bring down anyone who ever threatened him and it just didn't matter how he accomplished that. If getting Yuffie pregnant would get him the power he needed, he would do it. He wasn't interested in being a father, and he was more than sure that Yuffie wasn't either, but he figured he was old enough and it would be something to keep his immature wife out of trouble. Besides, she had told him she was restless. What better way to spend her time than taking care of a child?

"Just do it Zack. Once I have the pills, I will decide if I will use them or not," said Vincent, going back to his work.

Zack just sighed and walked out of his boss and friend's office. He didn't know how he would keep this from Tifa, but he wasn't the type to betray his closest friends. As he entered his own office, his eyes caught sight of a person that had once meant something to him as well. "Busy bee?" he asked her with a small smile.

Aerith looked up from where she had been filing some things away and nodded. "Always. How are things with you?" she asked, green eyes sparkling gently.

"Never better," Zack admitted. "What about you? How's the boyfriend?"

Her eyes flashed and she scowled a little. "We broke up."

"Why?" Zack asked curiously.

"Because I found him kissing another girl while we were still together. She said that it was all her fault, but of course I didn't believe her. I mean, no one can be forced into a kiss without fighting back," Aerith said with a sigh. "I just… I have to wonder what else Cloud and Tifa had been doing behind my back while he and I were a couple. Cloud had been distant for some time, and I just wonder if she's the reason."

Zack's eyes narrowed. Aerith was talking about _his_ Tifa? "When did this happen?"

Aerith looked at him. "The day of Vincent's wedding. Why?"

He shook his head and sat at his desk. "No reason. I'm just… sorry things didn't work out," he said honestly.

Aerith nodded and smiled. "I won't be torn up over a guy who had no respect for me. His loss," she said cheekily. Zack grinned and nodded. "It's just that… we spent so many of our teenage years together. Then there's the time I spent with you too. Why did we ever break up, Zack?"

Zack looked at her with a sad little smile. "We broke up because we both wanted different things. One of those things _you_ wanted was to be with Cloud," he said seriously. "We broke up and stayed friends. Now I have a girlfriend of my own."

"Who?" Aerith asked, a little surprised to learn that he truly was moving on. Maybe some part of her would always love Zack, despite the fact that she had truly wanted to be with Cloud the most.

"Tifa," said Zack quietly.

Aerith's eyes were wide. "She wasn't with you when she…"

"No," Zack replied. "We were getting to know each other barely. I asked her to be my girlfriend last week."

"Well, I wish you the best with her. I just… Zack, please be careful. I don't want you to get hurt and I get the feeling that Tifa feels something for Cloud. Don't think that I'm trying to cause a fight between the two of you, but… I don't want to see you get hurt too."

"Thank you," he said honestly. "But I trust Tifa. If she had wanted to be with Cloud, she would've gone with him instead of leading me on."

"I hope you're right," Aerith murmured. "I have to get back to work. Maybe we should go to lunch one day together?" Zack nodded and smiled and Aerith took that as her cue to leave. As she closed the office door behind her, the smile died on her face and she wondered why it hurt so much to know that Zack had a girlfriend now. She doubted Tifa's feelings because of what had happened between her and Cloud, and Aerith resolved that if Tifa hurt Zack, she wouldn't sit around twiddling her thumbs. Aerith would be more than willing to make Zack happy.

………

"This is gonna be harder than we thought," Tifa whispered into her earpiece. "According to the house blueprints we were able to acquire, Shinra's house is powered by its own friggin generator. The generator is inside the compound, and no one gets into it without passing through security first."

"How would we go about getting in, then?" Cloud asked, sitting in a car on the opposite side of the mansion from where Tifa and Yuffie were.

"The only way I can think of, is either Yuffie or myself getting invited in. We can either wait until that happens, or we can wait for Shinra to call some type of service. Maybe dry-cleaning, or catering, or even a cable repair person. That can take longer than we think," Tifa replied.

Cloud pulled up the blueprints himself and sighed. "How about entering through the sewers again?"

"Eww," said Yuffie. "How about not? The museum experience was not very pleasant. I had to throw away the boots I used that night. How about going in through the air?"

"No good. Shinra has a pretty good security system. I think Reeve designed this one too. They'd pick up our chopper, even with the modifications that Cid has provided for us. Hey Yuffs, Vincent doesn't come over to Shinra's place?"

"You mean as in a social visit? I don't think so. Vincent deals with Rufus on a business level. I don't think he likes Shinra all that much. They're not friends," Yuffie replied.

"Then we'll wait for a way to get in there, or we can try to steal the security schematics from Tuesti," Cloud said.

"Reeve probably upgraded his security since the last robbery. I doubt he'll give us an opening, but we can try that," said Tifa.

Yuffie sighed. "This was not a setback I was counting on. This thing will take longer than I thought," she said. "But the least risks we take with this thing, the better, no matter how long it takes."

"Are you two going home now?" Cloud asked.

"No. I'm going to meet up with Zack so that we can go to lunch together," Tifa said absently, typing away on her computer.

Cloud just sighed and put away his laptop to start his car. "I'll see you two later then. I have some stuff to do," he said before cutting the connection.

Yuffie looked at Tifa as she pulled out her earpiece. "He's not happy that you're with Zack, you know," she said smartly.

"Don't, Yuffie. He had a chance to make a move on me once he broke up with Aerith, but he didn't. I don't think he feels anything for me. Besides, it's too late and Zack is my boyfriend. There's no use wondering what could've been. It's too late for that," said Tifa, making sure that her hair was its usual perfect waterfall of silk.

Yuffie just shrugged and started her own car before driving towards Vincent's office building. She was just itching to see Lucrecia again. Maybe she would be able to slap some sense into the other woman so that she could leave Vincent the hell alone.

……

"Turn that frown upside down. Your fabulous _wife_ is here," Yuffie announced as she barged into Vincent's office. The day she knocked would be the day when pigs started to fly.

Vincent stepped away from the glass wall that allowed an incredible view of the city and turned to look at her, a glass of water in his hand. "Yuffie. Always a pleasure to see you," he said flatly.

"You know that now that you've had a taste of me, you can't live without me," Yuffie said, walking over to sit on his chair.

"What brings you around here?"

"Boredom," Yuffie replied immediately. "I'm going out of my mind. I'm not cut out for this whole wife business. Besides, Elmyra takes good care of your house, and she has your suits and shirts dry-cleaned. I'm bored, and there's only so much that Tifa and I can do nowadays. Besides, she has Zack now and the time we used to hang out with each other has been cut in half. I think we seriously need to take that trip out of the city, or possible the country."

"I told you that I don't have the time," said Vincent, walking over to her and leaning against his desk.

"Well, _make_ the time. If you don't, I'll just have to find something to steal. You know I'll do it," Yuffie threatened.

Vincent had to look at the situation from her perspective. Yuffie was used to scheming and planning her robberies. She was still a young woman and she was brimming with energy. He had to wonder how she was able to sit still for prolonged periods of time.

Yuffie took his silence as a 'no' and sighed petulantly. "Being married have been the most boring weeks of my life."

"Fine. I'll take you to Healin Lodge," said Vincent finally.

"Isn't that in the middle of nowhere?" Yuffie asked with a frown. "In case you still haven't noticed, I'm not exactly the type that enjoys seclusion. I need to be around people."

"I like solitude and nature. That is the only place I will take you. We can spend a few weeks together," he said, pulling her out of the chair and moving in to run his lips over her jaw. "Alone."

"Aren't like thirty-year-old men supposed to have decreased stamina or something like that?" Yuffie asked with a smirk, her eyes sliding shut as his teeth nipped at her throat.

Vincent let out a low chuckle and stepped back. "Will you accept the trip or not?" he asked.

Yuffie let out an annoyed sigh and shrugged. "I guess I have no choice. Just know that if you don't go through with this trip, you'll soon see headlines of a new robbery in the papers and on TV," she said seriously.

Vincent nodded. "Fine," he said, meeting her eyes. The ninja stared right back until they were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Yes?" Vincent asked.

Aerith stepped in and smiled slightly. "Your brother is here. He will wait for you in the conference room," she said.

Vincent just nodded and turned back to Yuffie as Aerith stepped out and closed the door. "Will you behave yourself from now until we take our trip?"

Yuffie sighed heavily and shrugged. "I'll try my very best. See you later," she said before walking out of his office.

Vincent wondered what had come over her. She usually argued and taunted him to the point where he didn't care if he they were in his office before he had her pressed onto a flat surface. There was just something about her that made him desire her beyond anything he had ever felt before. It was strange, since she was so young and often even more immature, but when it came time to share intimacy, she was more than grown up. The times they had been together so far had been more than satisfactory. Maybe getting her pregnant would be far easier than he had first thought.

……………

Tifa sighed in pleasure as she felt Zack's lips searching hers. What was it about this man that just made her feel so good? "Are you ready for lunch then?" she asked once he drew away to press kisses to her cheek.

Zack looked at the stack of papers on his desk and sighed. "I still have a few things to get done, but if you'd like you can go to the restaurant at the corner and get a head start."

Tifa nodded and slid her hands up the fancy suit he was wearing and sighed. "Are you sure you'll be down there before I finish eating?"

"I just have to finish a report that Vince asked for," he said, guiding her towards the door. "I promise to be there in fifteen."

"Pinky promise?" she asked in a pouty tone, leaning in to kiss his jaw gently.

Zack smiled and nodded, angling his head to kiss her again. "Pinky promise, though don't you have to squeeze pinkies with that?"

Tifa giggled and kissed him. "Yeah, but I think we can skip that part. Yuffie and I used to do that back when we were ten," she said before walking towards the door. "If you take longer than fifteen, I'm coming back here to kick your ass," she said before shutting the door.

Zack grinned to himself and went back to the reports to complete them as quickly as possible. He didn't want to upset his girlfriend, since he knew that she was a master at martial arts and that she could very well kick his ass, even with his SOLDIER training.

Meanwhile, as Tifa stepped out of his office, the smile on her face wilted when she nearly ran into Aerith. She let out a small sigh. "Aerith, I—"

"Don't bother telling me anything about Cloud, Tifa. It's too late for that," Aerith said seriously. "I just… Zack is an old friend of mine and I don't want to see him hurt because you're going to chose later on that you're truly in love with Cloud."

"That won't happen," said Tifa quietly.

"For your sake, I hope it doesn't," Aerith said before walking away.

Tifa's eyes narrowed and she didn't like it one bit that Cloud's ex-girlfriend had just threatened her. She didn't answer well to threats and something about Aerith's tone told Tifa that she felt something other than love for a friend towards him. The feeling didn't sit well with Tifa, but she was willing to prove that she wanted Zack to be with her. Aerith wouldn't stand in her way this time.

Once she arrived at the restaurant at the corner of the street, Tifa was nearly blindsided by the last person she had ever wanted to see. He took a seat at her table and gave her a cool smile. "What can I do for you?" Tifa asked, sitting back to look at him.

Sephiroth took her in, took in the fact that she looked far more beautiful than she had at fifteen. Though he had always been one to get everything he wanted, he did regret the immature child he had once been. "It's been a while. I didn't get a chance to speak to you at the dinner my brother gave."

Tifa nodded and took a sip of her ice water. "There's nothing to talk about, Sephiroth. You and I…"

"We weren't friends, but I do regret the way I treated you," he murmured, sliding a hand across the table to touch her knuckles.

"We were kids, well, at least _I _was still a kid. You were a couple of years older. You knew better, but I don't hold it against you anymore. Believe it or not, I've grown up these last five years," Tifa said, drawing back her hand. "You didn't damage me or anything."

Sephiroth nodded. "I needed to hear that. You and Zack are happy together?" he asked seriously.

Tifa nodded. "Yes. I do like him very much."

"Have you told him how we knew each other back in school?" Sephiroth asked curiously.

Tifa wondered why he was asking, but before she could reply, Zack was suddenly standing at the table. "Zack," she said with a small smile. "You finally made it."

He reached over to kiss her knuckles and then turned to the other man. "Sephiroth, what are you doing here?" Zack asked, eyeing the other man questioningly.

"I was waiting for my brother when I spotted Tifa here. I just came by to say hello," he said, standing and giving Tifa a look.

Zack didn't know what it was about his old General that made him feel cautious when concerning Tifa. Maybe it was also the fact that he had found out that Aerith had broken up with Cloud because of Tifa. He'd have to talk to her about the fact that she was living alone with Cloud now that Yuffie had moved in with Vincent. "How is your life now?" he asked.

"Calm," Sephiroth admitted. "I enjoy my solitude, but sometimes…" and here his eyes slid to Tifa. "Sometimes I want more."

Tifa cleared her throat and looked away from him uncomfortably, noting how Zack's gaze had zeroed in on her too. "Oh, look. There's Vincent, I think it's time we ordered something," she said nervously.

Zack took a seat next to her and Sephiroth took that as his cue to bid them goodbye and walk towards Vincent. Zack turned to Tifa and gave her a look. "You and Sephiroth had something going on that I should know of?"

Tifa sighed and thought about how she would word what she and the silver haired man had been years ago. "It was back when I was fifteen. He was popular, and all the girls liked him in school. I didn't say no when he asked me to date him. I didn't say no to a lot of things," she muttered.

"Which were…?" he trailed off.

"He was the first guy I was ever with," Tifa said with a small sigh.

Zack stared at her with wide eyes. "You and Sephiroth?"

Tifa nodded and wouldn't meet his eyes. "It wasn't a very pleasant experience. He was a jerk and I wished back then so much that I hadn't given him something so precious. He came over to ask me if I was okay. I told him I was. He didn't traumatize me or anything, but still, I do regret being so naïve."

They were quiet for a long moment and Tifa wondered if his opinion on her had changed. Besides, she hadn't been with another guy since that episode with Sephiroth. She sighed and looked through the menu in order to occupy her hands so that they wouldn't fidget.

Zack reached forward and turned her by the chin so that their eyes could meet. "I don't mind the fact that you lost your virginity at the age of fifteen. I don't even care that it was a man who was once my general and who made me do push ups when I cracked jokes while in line. It's all in the past, right?"

Tifa nodded and smiled. "Yes. It was an experience I wanted to forget quickly," she murmured.

Zack leaned in to kiss her and brushed her bangs away from her face. "What about Cloud?"

Tifa pulled back to look at him in confusion. _"What about Cloud?"_

"Aerith told me that she broke up with him because he caught you two kissing. Is that going to be a problem between us? I really like you, Tifa, and I love spending time with you, but if you're not sure about who you want to be with, maybe we should rethink being boyfriend and girlfriend," he muttered.

"You're breaking up with me so soon?" Tifa asked, eyes narrowed. She made to stand, but Zack's hand on her wrist stopped her.

"No. I just want to be sure that you want to be with _me_. I won't do anything as foolish as prohibiting you from talking to him or seeing him. I understand he's your best friend, but does he still mean something to you? Are you sure that you're ready to be with me?" Zack asked her seriously.

Tifa stayed quiet and took in his question. _Was _she ready to leave behind the love she had thought she felt for Cloud? She looked up and her eyes met Zack's. From the moment she had met him, he had treated her like a queen; he had lavished her with attention, whereas Cloud hadn't ever showed any sign of being interested in her. Until that kiss they had shared at Yuffie's fake wedding. But did that really mean anything? If she left Zack and took a chance to be with Cloud, would Cloud finally get his act together and tell her that he felt something for her?

"I want to try things with you," she finally told him. She knew she was being a bloody coward, but Zack was so amazing and she needed a man who would make her feel loved and who wouldn't make her doubt herself. It was too late for Cloud.

Zack let out a small sigh of relief and leaned in to kiss her. "I'm glad."

Tifa smiled and nodded. "Me too."

……………

Yuffie was absolutely sure that she would die of boredom in the next few days. All she could do was wait for Cloud or Tifa to notify her of their opening into Shinra's home and she would jump all over the chance. While they planned for that heist, none others could be planned unless they wanted to risk a chance of overlooking some minor detail in the Shinra heist. She was desperate to get something done, but she wasn't desperate enough to make a mistake and get sent to prison. Never mind the fact that Valentine had threatened her with prison if she tried stealing something again too.

She was so bored in fact, that she had asked Elmyra to teach her how to iron. That had been a total bust and now Vincent was minus one expensive, Wutain silk shirt. Both she and Elmyra had agreed to dispose of the condemning evidence before Vincent knew something had happened to it. What she did find suspicious that evening was that Valentine had asked her to tell the cook not to prepare anything for the two of them, that he would take her out to get something to eat outside. The suspicious part had been that he hadn't asked her to get dressed up or anything.

The sound of her phone warking like a chocobo made her see that it was Vincent, which meant that he was outside waiting for her. As she bid the maids and Elmyra goodbye and a goodnight, Yuffie walked out of the house with a thin sweater on and got into Vincent's fancy car. "Where are we going, chief?" she asked, buckling up her seatbelt.

"Just you wait and see," Vincent replied, his coat off and his shirt unbuttoned. His tie was gone too and he looked as relaxed as he possibly could after a long day at his office. He drove for a while and Yuffie snickered when he pulled into a fast food place. Her favorite place.

"We're having burgers for dinner?" she asked with a smirk.

"Would you prefer a high-collared place?" Vincent countered as he pulled up to the window. "What combo would you like?"

"Number three," said Yuffie.

"You want an onion ring burger?"

"So that you don't get any funny ideas tonight," she replied smugly.

Vincent placed their order and Yuffie had to stop to wonder if he'd had anything for lunch, since he had ordered the double burger with the large fries and drink. He drove off once more and Yuffie stared as they began to leave the city once more, but much further and towards the mountains.

By the time he stopped the car, the burgers were warm and the fries could've been better. He then pushed a button and the top of his luxury car began to fold back so that they had a clear view of an unpolluted dark sky, filled with stars. Yuffie gave him a look. "You don't mind us eating in your car?"

Vincent shook his head. "What I mind is you dripping anything that stains onto any part of my car," he replied, grabbing his own food.

They ate in companionable silence for a moment, and Yuffie took the time to take in the beautiful view. Though she despised all Shinra had done to turn Midgar into the metropolis it was now, she couldn't help but see the lights of the city as beautiful from where they sat. The dark, cloudless sky and the stars just made it all better.

"Do you remember your real parents?" Yuffie asked him abruptly.

Vincent turned to look at her as he slowly chewed on some fries. "If I answer your question, do I get to ask you one?" Yuffie thought about it for a moment and nodded. He nodded once. "My mother died before my father. All I can remember of her is the sound of her voice as she tucked me in. She was from Wutai, and she would sing lullabies in Wutain. My father was more distant, but I remember him as a good man who always thought of us first. My mother was killed in a car accident and my father was killed in a lab explosion. He had been a scientist for Shinra."

Yuffie tried not to feel sorry for him, because really, he had turned out to be a heartless jerk, but if he'd had at least one of his real parents, may he would've been different. "And you think becoming a Turk and taking things when they're not given freely would be something to make them proud?"

Vincent shrugged. "Everyone is shaped by their childhood whether they agree or not. I learned to push away my guilt and I did what was expected of me. I do sometimes wish I could've done something different with my life, but I don't regret what I am. Hojo pushed me in this direction, but in the end, I chose to be this man."

Yuffie sipped on her drink to keep from saying anything insulting and snide. The last thing she wanted was to be stranded in the friggin' mountains at this time of night. "Why—"

"I do believe it's my turn?" Vincent interrupted her. She gave him a sulky look but shrugged. "Why did you start stealing? Was it because of the death of your mother?"

Yuffie sighed and realized that he would eventually ask something of the like. "I steal because I'm good at it."

"That wasn't my question. I asked _why_ you started," said Vincent before finishing off his burger.

"I guess it was mostly for attention. Godo wasn't the most attentive father back then. Especially after my mom died, and then my aunt and uncle. Besides, he had his company to look after and he always put me on the back burner. I started my rebellious streak pretty early on. When I saw how good I was at stealing anything, I just couldn't stop."

"You know, there's a name for that," said Vincent smartly.

"I don't have a disorder," Yuffie snapped. "Dad took me to get a psych consult and they determined that I was stealing for attention, not because I was a true klepto."

Vincent smirked at her words. "Are you still stealing for attention?"

Yuffie shrugged. "I steal from the rich to give to the poor."

"Princess of thieves," Vincent murmured.

She let out a small laugh because of the irony; he couldn't possibly know that other thieves had dubbed her the 'princess of thieves,' already. All anyone knew about her was that she was a female thief. "Yeah. Dad thinks I grew out of it. I didn't want him to have a stroke if he found out I'm still doing it. The last time he bailed me out of trouble he nearly made me cry when he lectured me and made me promise not to do it again. Who could've known that the old man could work the puppy-dog look?"

"Your father loves you," Vincent murmured. "At one point during my Turk training, I would've killed to at least have my father back with me," he admitted.

Before she could stop herself, Yuffie's fingers slid over his and gave them a squeeze. "You didn't turn out _so _bad. As long as you burn the tape of me stealing from you and give me the divorce, I promise to never steal anything from you again," she offered.

"No deal," Vincent replied. He bumped away the fry aimed at his face. "When will you stop stealing?" he asked.

"When will you stop trying to step on people to get to the top?"

_Never._ They both knew it.

"Maybe we should go home," she said uncomfortably as the silence stretched. Then a thought made its way into her head. And no, she wasn't always thinking about sex. "Did you bring me up here to talk?"

Vincent gathered the trash and when he made sure it wouldn't fall out of the paper bag, he moved it behind his seat. "Did you think something else would go on up here?" he asked, leaning in towards her.

Yuffie moved as further back as she could but found that there really wasn't much space left. She let out a small squeak when his hand pulled at the lever of her seat and she fell back completely. "Seriously, in the car and with onion breath?" she asked him as he crawled above her rather awkwardly.

"I don't think we can do much here, but we can try," he offered, moving in to kiss her, not bothered by the onion breath.

Yuffie sighed and found that her hands had moved without permission and were sliding up his back. "Do you have any mints or something?" she asked when he drew away.

"Your breath isn't that bad," he muttered.

"Not for me, for you," she said mockingly. She burst into laughter when his hands sought her ticklish spots. She wondered when he had learned them, since he knew every single spot. Though he was only tickling her, the touch was strangely intimate and a part of Yuffie's brain was freaking out because of it. She wouldn't allow herself to fall for a man who had thought to control her life by blackmailing her into a marriage. Her giggles died down and she looked up into crimson eyes when he stopped and stared at her.

"We'll go home and do this properly," Vincent said, crawling back into his seat and starting the car.

In that moment, Yuffie had to wonder when his home had become hers as well.

………

A few days later, Vincent found himself sharing drinks with Zack at a nice bar. "How are things with Tifa?" Vincent asked, because his friend expected him to ask. He did like Yuffie's cousin, but he was also aware that she was trouble too, even though she was more subdued than Yuffie herself. He wondered if the two women would be the death of them eventually.

Zack swallowed a shot and cleared his throat. "Great. I gave her the option of going off with her roommate and she stayed. That makes me the good guy, right?"

Vincent thought about it and nodded. "If I would've been in your shoes, I would've found a way to get her to marry me already," he said in a self-deprecating way.

Zack let out a small snort. "I don't want to get married yet, but I do feel as if she's the one. I gave her the option to leave, and she stayed. I just… there's a doubt in me that she still feels something for that guy."

"Time will tell you if she's the one," said Vincent. It was easily the most honest and kindest advice he had ever given in his life.

"How come you didn't wait for _the one_?" Zack asked, taking a sip of a beer next.

"Because she married my foster father, remember?" Vincent nearly growled.

"Is she still the one?" Zack murmured.

Vincent shrugged. "I don't really know."

"You think Yuffie could be the one?"

"I forgot you ask too many questions when you start drinking," said Vincent in annoyance.

"Evading my question?" Zack asked smartly. "I think this whole blackmail thing is coming to bite you in the ass. Yuffie is digging deep with you, isn't she? You'll eventually fall for her."

Vincent really had to refrain from punching his friend, but his phone distracted him. Expecting to see Yuffie's name, he came across a number he didn't really want to see. He refused to even think of the fact that he had wanted it to be Yuffie. He opened the phone and held it to his ear without answering.

"I want to have lunch with you. I think there are things we have to talk about," said Lucrecia.

"I'm married. Will you ever convince yourself of that?" Vincent countered.

"Please Vincent, I just… I need to talk to you. Don't deny me some of your time," she said quietly.

Zack watched in silence as Vincent stared intently at the ring on his hand. He knew it was Lucrecia, he had seen the number and knew enough to recognize the tenseness in Vincent's shoulders that always came when the woman was in close proximity. He just wondered when Vincent would let his guard down and realize that Yuffie would most likely be a permanent part of his life from now on.

"Tomorrow," Vincent said simply.

"Thank you," Lucrecia said, sounding relieved. "Meet me tomorrow at the place you used to take me to. Okay?"

"Fine," he said, hanging up.

"You sure you made the right choice by giving her an opening?" Zack asked.

Vincent took a shot himself and turned to him. "I'm not letting her in."

"You're being selfish," said Zack. "You want them both and you don't care who you screw over. I'm your best friend; it's up to me to tell you the truth about anything and everything."

Vincent didn't know why the guilt was creeping its way into his chest. He hadn't allowed it to in the past ten years and it made him angry to know that the ninja child was the one causing it. Still, the feeling wasn't easy to shake, and though he knew that Lucrecia had once been a big part of his life, he feared—yes, he _feared_ that Yuffie would take her place. He just didn't need anymore distractions. Lucrecia's betrayal had made him doubt any woman's attention. But there was that something about Yuffie that told him that she could be the real thing and he just didn't like it. He would never allow a woman to control his life ever again.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

You're falling Vince, and it won't be long now! I hope I came across clear with his feelings. He likes Yuffie, and may feel a little more for her, but he doesn't want her to take control of his life and heart, so he'll push her away. Question is, will Yuffie find a way around his defenses? And does she even want to? Okay, enough questions, since Zack had his fill of those in the end of the chapter here. So, hope it wasn't too boring, and up next we have Lucrecia trying to make a move again, and I keep saying that Cloud will be in here, but I always seem to run out of space. But we'll see him soon enough. Also, Yuffie will eventually quick someone's ass, but I can't say who just yet, and she and Vincent will go on their "honeymoon."

And if anyone is curious, yes, kleptomania is a disorder. I actually looked it up out of curiosity. It says that people with this disorder usually aren't aware that they are stealing and mostly steal pens, paperclips, and packets of sugar. This quote is borrowed from Wiki_: "__Kleptomania is distinguished from __shoplifting__ or ordinary __theft__, as shoplifters and thieves generally steal for monetary value, or associated gains and usually display intent or premeditation, while people with kleptomania are not necessarily contemplating the value of the items they steal or even the theft until they are compelled."_

Intersting, isn't it? Anyway, it's getting late, almost midnight here, but I had to get this chapter out. Thank you again for all your comments and encouragements. Seriously, you're all awesome. Also, ignore the typos and errors til' tomorrow! I do hope to update soon, so have a good weekend!

Joey


	10. Scheming and Revenge

…………………………………………

**Scheming and Revenge**

…………………………………………

Yuffie knew there was something eating at Valentine. She could tell by the tenseness in his shoulders, and by the fact that he hadn't risen to her teasing the night before. He seemed a little on edge, and she was curious to know what had him in such a state. As she sat in her old apartment with Tifa and they went over the blueprints of Shinra's home, mapping out escape points in case something went wrong, she wondered why it bothered her so much that her fake husband was acting weird.

"What's on your mind?" asked Tifa, sitting back and staring at her.

Yuffie shrugged. "Valentine has been acting weird. I feel like he's keeping something from me," she replied.

Tifa gave her a thoughtful look. "Are you sure that's it? Are you… _worried_ about him?" she asked with a small grin.

The ninja's eyes narrowed. "I'm worried that he's planning something else to screw me over with. But I think something is going on. I don't know what, but he's seriously been acting strange for a couple of days now."

"You don't think it may have something to do with his ex, do you?" Tifa asked, taking a sip of water from the bottle on the table.

Yuffie thought about it for a moment and her eyes narrowed. "Believe it or not, I hadn't really thought of that," she admitted. "You think they're having some type of affair?" she asked darkly.

Tifa noted the look in her cousin's eyes and knew that if that were truly the case, Valentine would have something to fear. "Tell me something Yuffie…"

"What?"

"Do you see yourself with Valentine as a serious couple? Putting aside the fact that he bangs you at any given time he wants—and you let him—would you let him into your heart?" Tifa asked.

Yuffie shrugged. "I don't really know. I haven't allowed him in. We already talked about me liking him, because he's kinda hot, but aside from that he's this type of guy that doesn't care who he ruins as long as he gets his way. How can I fall for a guy like him?"

"The heart doesn't always do or feel what you want it to," she said, eyes darting towards Cloud as he walked out of his room with his laptop in one hand. "Besides, you're not exactly little miss innocent," said Tifa with a grin.

Yuffie gave her a cool look. "Just because I steal doesn't mean I'm as bad a person as Valentine," Yuffie muttered back.

Cloud sat down in front of them and sighed. "I think we may have gotten a way in. A cable repair guy is going to Shinra early next week. All I need is a uniform, some type of washable hair dye and we're all set. I can hook up into system, though I don't know if the security system will recognize any type of bugs or if they have anyone else monitoring their systems."

Tifa nodded. "You'll have to change your eye color too. Your eyes are just too bright and blue."

"Is that bad?" Cloud asked with a little grin.

Tifa shook her head and laughed softly. "No. You have great eyes, but people remember those types of eyes," she said, trying not to blush as Cloud stared at her with said eyes. They really were something else. Just like… Zack's. She cleared her throat and looked away from him, reminded that she had a boyfriend now.

Yuffie noted Tifa's discomfort and sighed. She did like Zack, but Tifa was so obviously still hung up on Cloud, even when she claimed that it was too late for them. "So you change your hair and eyes and get in. When is it going to happen?"

"Next week," said Cloud. "I'll take care of that, so don't worry," he assured them.

Yuffie nodded and stood. "I have to get going. See you later, Cloud. Teef, come over tomorrow so that we can continue our conversation, okay?"

Tifa nodded and waved as Yuffie left, then she stood and walked over towards the sink to wash the dishes by hand. She could admit that she didn't mind doing house work, though her parents and uncle had spoiled her just as much as Yuffie. Tifa had learned to cook at a young age, and she was very good at it. She wouldn't mind getting married and being a homemaker.

Cloud watched her as she slowly began to scrub the dishes from breakfast with dish soap. Even standing in a pair of loose pants with a black t-shirt, she was an incredibly beautiful woman. "Did you know that Aerith told Zack why and how she broke up with you?" Tifa asked him suddenly.

Cloud approached her and stood by her side, drying the dishes she handed over to him. "Why would she do that?"

Tifa shrugged and looked at him. "I don't know. Maybe out of spite?"

That didn't sound like Aerith, she had always been sweet, though a little volatile as to what she wanted. "You know… Aerith dated a guy named Zack during the time she and I broke up the longest. Do you think it's this guy?" Cloud asked curiously.

Tifa had no doubt that Zack was that guy. Aerith's tone just hadn't been one of an old friend, but rather one of an old lover. "Probably," she murmured, handing over a plate and accidentally smearing soapy suds over Cloud's sleeve.

"Hey! That's a clean shirt," said Cloud, grabbing the few bubbles and smashing them onto her hair.

"Cloud!"

He smirked, but it slowly died when she grabbed a handful of water and suds and hurled it at his face. "Tifa," he nearly growled, grabbing more soap and water to return the favor.

Tifa burst into loud laughs as he threw water and bubbles at her, soaking her shirt and plastering her hair to her forehead and cheeks. "Stop!" she yelled, still laughing as he caught her in one corner of the kitchen and proceeded to tickle her until she was nearly shrieking with laughter. "I can't breathe!" she gasped out, taking in deep breaths when he finally stopped.

They stared at each other, breathing hard for a moment and Tifa felt her cheeks color this time. She watched him with wide eyes as he reached up a hand to smooth fingers over her cheek. "You're beautiful," he murmured, taking in her eyes, the shade of brown that was almost red.

"Cloud…" she started, feeling her heart speed up when he took a step closer.

His lips were only a breath away and in that moment, nothing else existed around them. Tifa felt as if her heart would jump right out of her chest as his hand still held her face and his lips barely brushed hers. There was a knock at the door and she jumped, startled and guilty as memory of her _boyfriend_ finally returned. Smoothing hands through her damp bangs and trying to look composed, she rushed towards the door and opened it.

"Hey, Tifa," said Zack with a smile. He gave her a look from head to toe when she saw the condition of her clothes and hair. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Tifa nodded quickly and forced a smile. "I was just… washing the dishes," she said quietly.

Zack's eyes moved behind her as he spotted Cloud walking away, and he noticed that he seemed to be in the same state as Tifa. "You were washing dishes with Cloud?"

Tifa didn't like his tone and nodded. "Is there a problem with that?" she asked in a dangerous tone.

Blue eyes narrowed slightly. "You know, whenever I wash dishes, I don't end up looking like you."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean? Why don't you just come out and ask me if I've been doing something suspicious with Cloud instead of just implying it!" Tifa snapped.

Zack pulled her out the door and shut it, glaring at her. "I don't want to imply anything, Tifa. I gave you the choice of not leading me on in case you felt something for him. Why can't you be honest with me? Why aren't you just honest with yourself?" he asked her angrily.

This was the first time Tifa had ever seen him truly angry. A smile had always been on Zack's face from the moment they had met. "Can _you_ be honest with _me_?" she asked him instead. Zack just gave her a confused look. "Why didn't you tell me that Aerith was once your girlfriend?"

Zack frowned, not comprehending why she was bringing that up now. "What does it matter now?"

"I told you about Cloud, why couldn't you tell me about her? Is _she_ going to be a problem between us?" Tifa asked, throwing the question he had asked her days ago back at Cloud.

"What? No!" Zack said quickly. "Aerith and I have been over for some time. There's no reason for you to get jealous." He knew the error of his words the moment he stopped talking.

Tifa's gaze went cold and she crossed her arms over her chest. "You mind repeating that?" she asked darkly.

Zack returned her look. "I didn't mean anything by that comment. I'm not a jealous guy, but even a blind person can see that Cloud feels something for you and that apparently, you aren't over him either," he said in exasperation.

Tifa felt like pulling her hair out. Why couldn't Zack just leave things alone? "Why don't we just drop this here and I'll tell you that I won't be with either one of you!? If you can't trust me and the decisions I make, then maybe we aren't as good together as we thought. I really wanted to be with you, but _your_ jealousy led us to this. Cloud is one of my best friends and I've lived with him for years. If you can't handle the fact that he and I get along so well, then there's the door," she pointed towards the elevator.

Zack looked at her hard and then turned to walk away. As the doors were closing, all she caught a glimpse of were those eyes that had first drawn her in. The sadness was overpowered by the anger, and she knew in that moment that he wouldn't be the one apologizing over this argument first. Barely two weeks into their relationship, and already they were broken up. Tifa let out a shaky breath and felt the tears gather at her eyes then. Storming back into the apartment, she marched right into Cloud's room just to see him without a shirt on. She stared. He looked right back at her, raising one nearly perfect eyebrow. _Did he wax them?_ Tifa thought faintly. He cleared his throat and she flushed red.

"Do you like me?" she blurted out before she lost her courage.

It was Cloud's turn to blush. "Why do you ask?" he questioned, moving to grab a clean shirt to pull over his head.

"Because Zack and I just broke up. Stop messing with my head, Cloud! If you're going to make a move on me, do it now before it's to damn late!" she nearly yelled. Turning on her heel, she walked into her room and slammed the door closed.

Falling back onto her bed, Tifa sniffled and a few tears trailed down her face. She felt miserable, not only because she had really liked Zack and had thought that something good would come of having a relationship with him, but because she had just made a fool of herself in front of Cloud and he had just stood there and stared at her as if she were crazy. But she had just hit the breaking point and felt as if she would go crazy if both of the men in her life didn't make up their fucking minds!

The door to her room opened and Cloud peeked his head in, watching her as she turned her back to him and felt a few more tears trail over her cheeks as she heard his soft approach. "What do you want?" she asked, hugging her pillow tightly to her chest.

Cloud sat on the bed next to her and reached out a hesitant hand to touch her shoulder. "I want you to be happy, for one," he murmured. "Would it make you happy if I made a move on you?" he asked, trying to make her smile.

Tifa sighed. "I don't know. I just… I don't even know what _I _want," she admitted.

He pulled her gently until she was on her back, looking up at him. "I happen to know what I want to do," he said quietly. Before she could question what he meant, he had bent lower to press a gentle kiss to her lips. Tifa's hand slipped into his spikes and she had to marvel at how soft his hair was, even though it looked rough because of haphazard spikes. He drew back and touched her cheek. "What if we don't work out because we've been friends for so long?" he asked her gently.

Tifa sighed and couldn't help the image of Zack's happy grin flashing through her head. What the hell was wrong with her? Now that there was a possible chance to be with Cloud, she wouldn't be able to stop thinking of Zack? She felt like bashing her head against the wall. "Yeah. I don't want to ruin anything between us, but…"

"You want us to go out on a date to see how it goes?" Cloud asked with a small smile.

She smiled and nodded. "We can try."

"Okay, then. How about we go out this weekend?" Cloud asked, stroking her hair.

"That would be good," Tifa replied. "I hope I didn't scare you by almost chewing off your head back there," she said, pointing towards his room.

"You say that as if I've never seen you flip out before. Did you forget that time that at a sleep over someone put gum in your hair?" he asked her lightly.

Tifa glared at him. "Don't remind me of that. That was the most traumatic night of my life. I had to cut my hair far shorter than I would've liked." She paused and sighed quietly. "We've known each other for a while, huh?" Cloud nodded. "Were you jealous of Zack?"

Cloud huffed and looked away. "Yeah," he muttered under his breath.

She smiled and sat up. "Why didn't you make a move on me before?"

"Because you looked happy," Cloud said, and he honestly didn't know if he'd be able to make her that happy. He would certainly try, but… but what if they did end up ruining the good friendship they had now?

"Yuffie is going to freak when I tell her."

"Maybe we should wait and see how our date goes before telling her?" he offered.

Tifa nodded. "I think you're right on that. She has enough on her mind as it is."

He leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek. "I have a few things to get done, so I'll talk to you later?" Cloud asked.

Tifa nodded and watched him go, a smile on her face. The smile faded little by little and left her face all together when she spotted a picture of Zack sitting under one of her books. She had been meaning to buy a frame for it, but she'd forgotten about it. Looking at it now, taking in those eyes, his sweet smile… Tifa couldn't help but sigh in exasperation. She was a walking contradiction. When she'd been with Zack, she'd thought of Cloud, but now that there was a chance at being with Cloud, she couldn't stop thinking of Zack. Falling back against her bed, she let out a frustrated sigh into her pillow and knew she had to do something about her love life before she really went crazy. She just hoped that Yuffie fared better than her in that department.

………

A few days later, Vincent found himself sitting on a comfortable seat of his private jet, alternating between watching the sky and the clouds, reading, and watching Yuffie as she slept in the reclining seat, out like a light because of the tranquilizers she had imbibed. She had told him in a very matter-of-fact tone that though she was used to flying in helicopters, riding airplanes and airships had been an entirely different thing. Vincent couldn't see how that was possible, but he didn't question Yuffie anymore, unless he wanted an earful of nonsense and he could only handle so much in one day.

He could also admit to himself that he had been acting a little off since the day he had gone to lunch with Lucrecia. There went that little word called _guilt_. He was feeling too much of that lately. He sighed to himself and recalled Lucrecia's words as they had sat together having lunch.

"_Why did you marry her? Do you love her?" She finally asked, after they were nearly done with their meal._

_Vincent chewed calmly on his steak and looked at her. "Why do you keep questioning my marriage? Is Hojo not giving you all that you expected?" he asked._

"_I just… I can't wrap my mind around the fact that you may love a nineteen year old _girl_," Lucrecia stressed. "Did you stop loving_ me_ so easily?"_

"_Maybe what you and I had was never love," he said, knowing that his words would hurt her on some level._

"_How can you say that?" she asked, looking hurt. "I still love you. I want to be with you."_

_Vincent knew he had waited a long time to hear those words, but now they didn't mean as much as he had once thought they would. He didn't want it to be because of Yuffie, but some part of him knew that she had something to do with it. "Get a divorce," he said calmly._

"_I can't do that," she said seriously._

"_Why?"_

"_You know why."_

_Vincent smirked bitterly. "If you loved me the way you say you do, you would damn everything to be with me. Even the man who gives you your money and the power you have always craved. I pity you, Lucrecia. Your love for material things is stronger than anything else you may feel for me. I'm just glad you did not have any children, since I don't think you'd know how to love them."_

_Her eyes watered then, and he had called for the check so that he could get far away from her before he broke and told her that he would agree to be with her again no matter what._

Vincent sighed and shook his head. He didn't know what he felt for Lucrecia now, but he was certain that his feelings had been changing the more time he spent with Yuffie. The stewardess notified him to please put his seatbelt on, as they were about to land, and Vincent turned to look at Yuffie once more, taking in her dark lashes, and her dark hair.

She stirred slightly at the turbulence, and had managed to wake a little by the time the jet landed and they were finally able to get up and out of it. Yuffie was still blinking groggily, unwillingly clinging to his arm in order to not fall over on her face as they moved towards the exit. "How long was I 'sleep?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"About four hours," Vincent replied, making sure that they both wouldn't tumble down the few steps of the jet together.

Yuffie opened her eyes and nearly fainted. "What the—where are we?" she asked, taking in the distant lights and attractions. No mountains or boring wilderness in sight.

"We're at the Gold Saucer. We're going to spend a few days here. Then we will be going somewhere else. It's a surprise too, so don't ask," Vincent said calmly, watching her eyes brighten happily.

Before either of them could process what she was doing, she had thrown an arm around his neck and brought him down to press a kiss to his lips. Instead of allowing her to move back right away, Vincent's grip tightened around her waist and he kept her pressed against him, making her rise to the tips of her toes. She made a noise in the back of her throat and then slowly drew away from him, cheeks pink and eyes still closed.

"So… um… yeah… thanks for bringing me here instead," she said, suddenly embarrassed about what she had done.

Vincent merely smirked and nodded. "I figured I would get a reaction like that one. It was well worth it."

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "You did not expect that. It took you a moment to start kissing me back," she said with scoff. "Anyway, why did you _really_ bring me here?" she asked suspiciously. It was like he was trying to make her… happy. Yuffie's eyes narrowed and she wondered what it was that he had done.

"I just want us to relax for a few weeks. I've had entirely too much on my head," he admitted, remembering his lunch with Lucrecia.

"You've been acting all weird this past week. Does this have to do with your ex?" Yuffie questioned.

Vincent shook his head and led her towards the car waiting for them. "Just enjoy it and stop asking questions. Who knows when I'll be able to take you out again," he said.

Yuffie just sighed and decided to leave it alone for now. She'd get what she wanted from him later. They drove towards the huge amusement park and the Inn that was located in a section called the Ghost Square. She had always loved this place, especially visiting it with her mother and Tifa.

The hotel was decorated to look scary, but Yuffie found it more fascinating than anything. Vincent had gotten them the best room—which was more like an apartment than an actual room, and she had convinced him to leave everything else alone in order to check out the attractions, though he had droned about how they didn't have to see everything in one day when they would stay for a while. They started with the Wonder Square, where all the games and the arcade were located. "I'm beginning to regret bringing you here," Vincent muttered as she pulled him towards a basketball game.

"Stop complaining and just win the prize for me. Then, we can ride the roller coaster!" said Yuffie evilly. "What?" she asked at his look. "You were once a Turk, you're supposed to have good aim, right?" she jibed.

Vincent nodded and paid the employee for a ball. Readying his shot, he turned to look at Yuffie, who was watching him expectantly. Staring right back at her, he threw the ball without looking at it. Yuffie's eyes darted to see, and she found that the ball had gone right in. She smirked at him and shook her head. "Show off," she muttered, pointing towards the stuffed cat with a crown on his head and red cape around his neck. The employee handed it over and she squeezed the soft stuffed cat to her.

"I don't even get a thank you for that?" Vincent asked, walking with her once more.

"You got your thank you when we got off the plane, I think that was enough," Yuffie replied cheekily. "I think… I want to go see a play right now," she said, dragging him along.

Vincent grimaced and remembered what the Gold Saucer usually did for the one-hundredth couple who passed through the door. "I don't think that would be a good idea," he started. But it seemed that Yuffie wasn't listening to him as they entered the building.

Fortunately for Vincent, there was no announcement of them being the _chosen _couple, but just as they stepped in, the light shone on the people coming in behind them and a voice announced that they would be participating in the play. "Stage fright, Vince?" Yuffie asked with a laugh.

"No. I'm just not in the mood to make a fool of myself on a stage. One way or another, the press would find a way to get this in the paper or on the tabloid magazines," he said as they took a seat near the door. Yuffie rolled her eyes and sat back, looking towards the stage as the lights came on and the curtains were drawn. Halfway into the play, Yuffie heard Vincent sigh in boredom.

"You wanted to see this? Bad acting and a shoddy storyline?" he asked her in a whisper.

Yuffie shrugged. "I happen to like it. I'm sorry it's not up to your standards, your majesty," she snarked.

Vincent leaned in towards her to run the tip of his nose against her cheek gently. "Why don't we just go back our room and do something far more interesting?" he asked, voice deep and filled with promise.

Yuffie couldn't stop the blush on her cheeks and cleared her throat. "Sit through the whole play without complaining once and I promise to think about it," she finally replied.

Unfortunately for Vincent, he couldn't just sit by and watch something so ridiculous. As he pointed out the things he would change and why no one in their right mind would watch something that boring, he realized he had drawn a rather loud laugh from Yuffie, and people were staring at them. Taking her hand, he pulled her out of the building and towards sunlight. "You just couldn't sit there and be quiet, could you?" she asked with a smile.

Vincent shrugged. "I guess you're rubbing off on me in a very bad way," he said as they walked towards the food section of the park.

"That's what you get for making me _Mrs. Valentine,_" Yuffie said, sticking her tongue out at him. She sighed and gave him a serious look. "I still can't understand why you did it."

"We shouldn't talk about that now," he said, looking away from her.

Yuffie rolled her eyes and was reminded why she hadn't liked him to begin with. He was always trying to be in control, and she did not answer well when people tried to make her do what they wanted. Her father hadn't been able to stop her, the police hadn't been able to stop her, and Vincent Valentine wouldn't be the exception.

By the time they arrived back at their room at the inn, the sun had been high in the sky and would soon begin to descend. Yuffie fell back against the comfortable bed and let out a long sigh. "I think I'm going to take a swim," she said, standing and going towards her suitcase.

"The pool is right outside our room," said Vincent as he pulled off his shoes.

"We have a personal pool?" Yuffie asked flatly. "Geez… could _you _be anymore spoiled?" she asked with a snort before walking into the bathroom to change.

Vincent just shrugged to himself and lay back against the bed to get some rest. His eyes opened when he heard Yuffie exit the bathroom. He couldn't help the way his eyes caressed her backside with the skimpy shorts and bikini top she had on now. It left even less to the imagination than her normal clothes.

Standing, he followed her out to where the pool was and watched her dive easily into the deep end, moving with quick strokes under water. He counted the time she spent swimming under water and was quite impressed. When she finally hit the surface for air, she took a few breaths of air and pushed her hair out of her eyes. She blinked up at him and raised an eyebrow when she found him watching her.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Watching you," he said calmly.

Yuffie leaned up against the side of the pool and looked up at him. "Why?"

Vincent moved to gracefully kneel in front of her, eyes moving to follow the water droplets rolling down her neck and chest. Yuffie just smirked to herself and an idea popped into her head. "Where did you leave your phone and keys?" she asked.

He gave her a curious look. "In the room on the table," he replied.

"Good." Yuffie gave him no warning before reaching a hand up to his shirt and pulling his fully clothed form into the water with her. He came up spluttering a little and glared when she started to laugh at him.

"You will… pay for that," he said darkly.

"… Why?" she asked, still laughing. "I asked about your cell phone for a reason!"

She ended up spluttering too when he pulled her underwater with him, but when they moved for air, his arms were around her waist and their lips were a breath apart. Yuffie stared into his crimson eyes and watched him as he slowly leaned towards her, their lips brushing just barely, nibbling and kissing her gently, eyes still on each other. She didn't know what she felt in that moment, but she drew away from him and sunk into the water so only her eyes were visible.

Then she dove back and continued her laps. Vincent sighed to himself and wondered what had come over her. One minute he had been getting close, the next she was putting up a wall between them once more. He supposed she wasn't over the whole blackmailing business; he would've been surprised if she had been. Still, he was making progress and the next part of his plan would soon begin. With one last glance at her as she took furious strokes underwater, he slowly made his way out of the pool and peeled off his shirt and pants before walking into their room to take a shower.

Yuffie broke the surface and cursed herself in the various languages Godo had made her and Tifa learn before they had been five. Even when Tifa's parents had been alive, Godo had had a word in the type of education the both of them would have, since Tifa's mother had been Godo's sister. So she had an array of curse words and insults in her repertoire. Right now she was calling herself ten kinds of idiot for allowing Valentine to get one up on her. So far, he was winning and it was time she did something to change that. Stepping out of the pool and wrapping a towel around herself, Yuffie moved into the room and stopped when she heard a faint buzzing sound.

As Vincent's cell phone moved across the table he had set it on, Yuffie stared at it, wondering whether to answer it or not. The shower was running and she wouldn't barge in just to tell him that his phone was ringing. Grabbing it, she looked at the unknown number and hesitated briefly before opening it and putting it to her ear.

"Vincent?"

_Lucrecia_, Yuffie hissed inwardly. Why was she calling Vincent at this time of the day? And when she knew that he would be on their "honeymoon"? The woman had some nerve.

"Just listen to me. I know that I said a lot of stupid things when we had lunch the other day, but… I meant them. I still love you, and I know that you still love me. We can find a way around this," she said desperately. "You'll never love that girl the way you love me."

Hearing this, Yuffie shut the phone with a harsh snap and had to refrain from hurling it out of the door and hopefully into the bottom of the pool. Instead she set it down and tapped her foot as she crossed her arms over her chest. That woman was getting on her last nerve and she needed to be put in her place. _You'll never love that girl the way you love me_. "We'll see about that, _Lucy_," Yuffie muttered evilly.

Vincent still owed her for blackmailing her into marriage, and this would be the perfect way for making him pay. She would make him fall in love with _her_. He had already admitted enjoying his time with her, and Yuffie knew that if she tried hard enough, he would eventually fall in love with her. After all, desire and lust hadn't been a problem, and many people said that there was a thin line between love and hate. The only problem would be not falling for_ him_, too.

Pulling off her still dripping bathing suit, she slowly padded into the bathroom, ignoring the steam and watching intently through the clear glass door as Vincent lathered his toned body with the scented soap. She slid into the shower behind him and pondered how she would work out her plan. First, she would get him to think that she was willing to do all he wanted. Little by little, so that he didn't get suspicious of her, but she had always been a very convincing liar.

The clean water washed away the soap from his skin and she moved in front of him, sliding a hand over the muscles of his stomach. Red eyes popped open and met hers as water kept falling over his face, flattening his hair against his forehead and cheeks. "What are you doing?" he asked, lips parting when her hand went lower.

"I'm trying to take a shower too," she said over the patter of water.

"Hmm... you could've waited for me to finish," Vincent said, smirking as her eyes roved over his body.

"This is much quicker," Yuffie replied, tightening her grip. "Though I think you could use a little help," she said, voice hinting.

"I do believe _that_… part of me is already… clean," he nearly groaned.

"Maybe I can do a better job then," she replied, moving to settle on her knees.

Vincent stared down at her, wondering what had gotten into her for Yuffie to be acting so boldly. He was usually the one who initiated each of their encounters. This was a first, and he found that it was more of a turn on to have her willingly in his arms than coercing her nearly every single time. His breath left him in a shaky sigh and he pressed his hands against the wall in front of him for support. Yes, he certainly liked things this way better.

Yuffie knew that it was only a matter of time before she would have him eating out of her hand. There would be no more of those little secret lunch dates. Both Vincent and Lucrecia wouldn't know what hit them.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

For all you CloudTifa fans, this is not the last we see of Zack, so don't do your happy dance just yet. And though it was about time Cloud did something, I think I went a little OOC with Tifa yelling at him and all that. Also, my version of the Gold Saucer is like a normal theme park, without going through tubes to get to places and the inn would be like a normal hotel. I honestly have never played FFVII, so I don't have a very clear idea of how it looks, though I have done a bit of research on it. So things have taken a different turn and Yuffie will not just sit back and let Lucrecia keep interfering. Vincent isn't the only one scheming and planning, but eventually it will backfire for our couple because obviously this is a romantic fic.

So next chapter will continue the honeymoon and Yuffie's plan, and we'll see if Cloud and Tifa are successful on their date, though if you know how I write my plots, things won't be all candies and roses. Anyway, sorry it's two days late. A lot of things came up and got in the way, but I've got the chapter now. Hope everyone enjoyed even though it was shorter than usual and hopefully I'll have a new chapter next Friday. Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed this story so far. We're two away from one-hundred! Have a good week everyone.

Joey


	11. Doubts

_Warning: Adult situations towards the end. Don't read if you don't like, please!_

…………………………………………

**Doubts**

…………………………………………

She opened her eyes with a gasp, and Yuffie tried to sit up, wondering where she was and why she was on a bed. After spending a few days at the Gold Saucer, getting Vincent to stop being such a stick in the mud and making him play various games, they had packed up and left. He hadn't told her where they were going next, no matter _how_ she tried to get it out of him. The country's secrets would be safe if there was a war and he was captured. Stupid Turk. So she'd taken her tranquilizers, though she suspected she had taken one more than necessary and had fallen asleep before the jet had left the ground.

Now, propping herself on her elbows, she surveyed the room she was in. Another expensive place, with a fireplace lighted and burning merrily across the room, filling the space with warmth. The bed she was on was soft, with a thick blue quilt, and the sliding door to her left was fogged and from what she could tell, there was snow outside. Standing up and noting that her boots had been removed, Yuffie walked towards the clear doors and looked outside at the incredible view. They were surrounded by snow and mountains. Smirking slightly, she knew that she didn't mind nature and wilderness all that much. She just wasn't that much into peace and solitude. But she would make the exception for a few days if it helped her plan along.

Walking out of the room and into the living room, she spotted Vincent by a window, drinking something that had steam rising from it and gazing at their surroundings as well. "I was beginning to worry," he said without turning. "You should watch what type of dosage you take more closely."

Yuffie shrugged to herself. "Aww… I'm touched. Were you worried about little ol' me?" she asked, walking over to stand behind him.

Vincent turned and leaned back against the window, his eyes taking in her messy hair, though he had seen many times that it usually settled into its normal flaccid silk on its own. "I worry about having to find someone else to warm my bed," he said coolly.

Yuffie's eyes narrowed. "From what I've heard, that wouldn't be a problem for you. Unless you wish to share said bed warmer with your foster father," she said with an evil grin.

"What are you talking about?" he asked her, sipping on his hot chocolate.

His red eyes were challenging her to start and argument, but Yuffie dropped it. For the first time in her life, she dropped the argument and sauntered over to stand close to him. "How did you get me up here and why am I wearing pants? Oh, and where are we?"

"I carried you up here; with many people staring by the way. Those who don't know who we are probably thought I was kidnapping you or something of the like. We are in Icicle Town at the Icicle Inn. I removed your shorts on the jet before we landed," said Vincent nonchalantly. At the look on her face, he smirked in amusement. "And… you had no idea how much fun I had with the view." He barely felt and heard the air whistle by his ear. A few strands of his hair floated gently down and he turned towards the wall right next to the window to see a ninja star embedded on the windowsill.

"I did that to Reeve in his office. He was quite impressed," Yuffie said, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning her weight on one leg. "Dad had had an eye on him to be my husband, and there was a moment when I thought it wouldn't be too bad. Reeve may be a little older than you, but he certainly has what a girl wants," she said, eyes dreamy.

Vincent's eyes narrowed and he was glad that he couldn't look into Yuffie's head to see what she was thinking. He put down his mug and stalked over to her. Yuffie let out a small yelp when she found herself under him on the nearest sofa. "Care to keep talking about Reeve?" he asked before kissing her until she was breathless.

"Don't tell me you're jealous," Yuffie gasped out as his hands worked off her pants.

Instead of replying, his teeth skimmed over her chest, gently biting until she was arching underneath him. "I do remember having this discussion about Tuesti before," he muttered, pushing her shirt over her head so that there was no obstacle between his mouth and her breasts.

Yuffie grinned inwardly and shifted when his lips did something particularly pleasurable. Unfortunately, the couch was far narrower than they had both thought and they tumbled to the carpeted ground together. She let out a snicker when she knocked the air out of Vincent's body and stood, giving him a haughty look. "Tell Lucrecia to stop calling your phone while we're on our supposed honeymoon, or expect to not get laid for the remainder of it," she said before going off to the bedroom to change into something warm so that she could explore the outside of the inn.

Vincent watched her go with slightly wide eyes and then leaned his head back against the floor to stare at the ceiling. Yuffie knew that Lucrecia had been calling him? Could Yuffie possibly know about the lunch he'd had with her the week before? "Shit," he muttered to himself, painfully obvious of the painful situation down south. "Damn it, Yuffie."

…………

Adding a touch of lip-gloss to her lips, Tifa looked at herself in the mirror and twirled once. Cloud had asked her to wear something warm, and she had opted for a long sleeved, black dress that fell off her shoulders, but that she would wear with a warm coat and a red scarf. She was curious to see where they would go, but all together excited. She just hoped that she managed to keep Zack out of her mind for the night.

Though a few days had passed since her break-up with the dark-haired man, there was a part of her that was still in mourning. Even though the other part was happy that she and Cloud would have some type of opening towards what could happen between them. Still, Tifa knew that it wouldn't be easy. They had been walking on eggshells around each other since they had been fifteen. Five years later maybe things wouldn't be as good as she hoped. But she was jumping right into the break-up before they even gave anything a try.

There was a knock at her door and Tifa walked over to get it. She smiled when a bouquet of sunflowers greeted her. "Can I at least get a glimpse of my date?" she asked softly.

Cloud lowered the flowers and blushed a little when Tifa looked at him from head to toe. "I hope I don't disappoint," he replied.

Tifa was beyond disappointed. Cloud looked incredibly hot in a dark blue dress shirt and black slacks. The color clashed with his pale skin and his bright eyes, but it made him even more handsome. Tifa took the flowers from him and walked over to the kitchen to place them in water.

Cloud knew he had to say something to Tifa about the way she looked too, but he had been too busy staring in order to say something smart. He cleared his throat once. "You look great, Tifa," he said as she arranged her flowers in a clear vase of water.

"Thank you," she said brightly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "So, where to?"

"Grab your coat and we can go," he said.

Tifa pulled on her coat and followed him out the door. As they entered the elevator, she watched curiously as he hit the roof button. She refrained from questioning him and her eyes grew wide when the doors opened on the roof. She was left gazing at a small dinner table with candles, roses and the food already set and protected by silver lids. Somewhere hidden, music was playing and the view from there was breathtaking. Even the usually cloudy sky had parted to give them a glimpse of the full moon and the far away stars.

"Wow," Tifa murmured, turning to look at Cloud, who had been observing her quietly. "I never expected something like this from you."

"You like it then?" he asked, guiding her towards the table and pulling her chair out for her.

Tifa nodded. "It's wonderfully romantic. I wasn't even aware that you had a romantic bone in your body," she said.

Cloud just smirked and took a seat too so that they could begin their dinner. While they ate, they reminisced about their pasts and embarrassing moments in their pre-teen years. "… the look on the dean's face was priceless," he trailed off, after a particularly funny story that included water balloons with colored water, and stink bombs.

"That was the first time Yuffie got suspended at that school and we got detention for not admitting to anything," Tifa said with a grin, taking a sip of her white wine. "Uncle Godo would give you an earful if he knew that you were giving me alcohol before my twenty-first birthday."

"Let's not tell him then," said Cloud with a grin.

"My lips are sealed," Tifa replied, going quiet when she saw Cloud's eyes dart towards her lips. Listening to the soft music, she stood and offered him her hand. "Dance with me?"

Cloud nodded and walked with her until they were clear from the table. Nervously, he wrapped his arm around her waist, while his other hand held hers. The moved slowly to the beat, and though Tifa hadn't thought he could dance at all, he did a great job in moving with her. He held her gently, taking in the way she felt in his arms, how sweet she smelled, and how beautiful she looked. But despite all the good things he felt, he could still feel her hesitating at their closeness.

"I like this," she told him, their cheeks touching.

"Me too," he said quietly, closing his eyes and kissing her cheek.

Tifa watched him silently and moved forward so that their lips were brushing. She kissed him gently, smiling as he kissed her tentatively right back. Though she could still feel Zack in the back of her thoughts, she tried to focus on Cloud and how he looked and felt as he kissed her. Moving away slightly, their foreheads met as they kept dancing slowly.

"Thank you for this," she said as they walked towards the ledge of the building, which was too high for someone to fall over and to their deaths.

"You deserve it. I've always known that you were someone special," he said, eyes bright and on her own.

"Still… you never even tried to get closer to me this way. Why?"

"I grew up with a family that cared little about me. I didn't know much about hugs, warm words, and any type comfort. It wasn't until I met you and Yuffie that I knew what a real family was and I didn't want to jeopardize that. I mean, imagine if we had tried things years ago and we had ended in a break-up, how would I have handled the situation if you and Yuffie were my only family?" Cloud asked her gently.

Tifa nodded, understanding his logic to a certain point. "We'll always be with you, no matter what happens," she said with a smile, leaning in to kiss him again.

Cloud sighed and ran a hand through her soft hair, pushing some strands from her eyes. "I'll hold you to your word."

A little while later, after enjoying the view and kissing for a little while longer, they made their way back inside, Tifa wondering who was going to take care of the table and the dishes. But then Cloud walked her to her room and smiled. "I really liked what you did for me tonight, Cloud. Should we do it again?" Tifa asked with a wink.

Cloud nodded and leaned in to kiss her, sliding his hands over her waist as hers rubbed his back. "Yeah, I think we should do it again."

She moved away from him and nodded. "Have a goodnight, Cloud," she said.

"You too." Cloud nodded and watched as she shut the door before making his way to his room. He grinned to himself and fell back onto his bed, his thoughts on Tifa and how he would give anything to keep her in his life forever.

…………

Vincent found her standing in a nearby park, laughing with the local children as they tried to build snowmen that looked more like formless mountains of snow. She was wearing a warm suit with a long, bright green scarf wrapped around her neck at least twice and a very exaggerated hat that looked like a raccoon was resting on her head and its tail was trailing from the back.

"Hey guys! Doesn't this snowman look _way_ better than the real thing?" Yuffie asked, pointing from the snowman to Vincent.

The children giggled and ran off to throw snowballs at each other. He looked at Yuffie as she grinned at the snowman and turned her around so that she could look at him. "How did you know that Lucrecia had called?" he asked.

"I saw your phone go off while you were showering the afternoon we arrived at the Gold Saucer. And don't you dare get angry at me for answering it. What was all that about you sharing lunch with her?" Yuffie asked him casually, adjusting her gloves when the cool air began seeping onto her warm skin.

Vincent looked at the ninja and wondered if she was jealous. He didn't comment on it because he had a feeling that she would take it as an insult and some part of his body would end up in pain. "I went to lunch with her."

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Well, duh. I meant, did you forget all that crock about you giving me my place and treating me like your wife even when we don't have a real marriage?"

"It seems real to me, especially with all the sex and jealousy going on," he replied smugly.

She felt like slapping him. "Sex doesn't make a marriage. We're just two enemies… trying to have a good time with something that neither of us wanted. You married me for some ulterior motives—which you won't tell me about—but you didn't want this. Neither did I," Yuffie said. "But I've already told you. If you want to go off and have an affair with Lucrecia, do it. I'll return the favor with either Reeve or Genesis. Genesis seems more than willing, so it won't be too hard to rope him in," she said with cold calculation.

Vincent stared hard at her and had no doubt that she would do as she claimed. Yuffie just wasn't the type of woman who threatened without going through with it. "I'm not interested in having an affair with her," he finally said.

Yuffie sighed and turned to look out at the kids still playing with the clumps of ice. "Why do you keep letting her in, then? If you want to show her she has no part in your life anymore, kick her out. Ignore her advances."

"I'm trying," Vincent replied. "But… she was a big part of my life. It's… a little difficult to cut her out."

She walked over to him and stared into his eyes. "Do you still love her?"

Vincent sighed and looked out at the town. "I don't know. It doesn't hurt as much to look at her anymore."

_Good_, Yuffie thought to herself. That meant that she was making a little progress. Before his eyes turned to meet hers again, she stood on the tips of her toes and kissed him gently. Vincent turned to look at her in surprise at yet another move on her part, and he settled his hands on her waist and leaned further down so that she wouldn't have to strain to reach him. Their moment, however, was interrupted when there was a rain of snowballs landing on them and around them. Yuffie pulled away from Vincent and yelled. "Hey, you little squirts! That was a cheap shot, attacking while my back was turned!"

Vincent let out a small chuckle as she took off and began to throw snowballs at the children who had caught them unawares. Watching her so carefree and smiling brightly as she played with the little people made something funny twist in his chest. The little brats wrestled her to the ground and nearly buried her in the snow before Yuffie finally screamed out a surrender between her laughs. He walked over to her as the boys and girls ran off to play on the swings and left her alone. "Need a hand?" he asked her in amusement.

Yuffie glared at him, even through her laughs and nodded, taking his hands as he nearly dug her out from the snow. "They caught me by surprise," she grumbled, shaking snow from her clothes and jumping a little when some made its way down her neck inside the suit. "I think I need to thaw in front of the fire for a little."

"I can certainly help with that," Vincent offered.

She just smirked and began to walk ahead of him, but before she had gone too far, his hand grabbed her wrist and brought her back around for a last kiss. Yuffie sighed against him and felt her own heart speed at the care in which he touched her. She had tried to keep the wall in front of her heart, but it was slowly melting under his touch. To make the moment even more unforgettable, soft clumps of snow began to fall from the sky as he still kissed her.

Drawing away from him, Yuffie swallowed hard as his eyes stared into hers, something strange and terrifying crossing his before it was gone. She turned and began to walk back towards the inn, trying to forget what she had just seen. "It's getting late, and I'm hungry. If you can stop acting like some randy school boy, maybe you can take me to dinner before I die of hunger?" she asked him sarcastically.

Vincent gave her a look and walked past her. "Right. You're just wasting away in front of me," he muttered. Yuffie refrained from laughing and followed him towards their room.

……………

The following morning, Tifa awoke with a smile on her face. She showered and dressed and was about to start on breakfast for herself and Cloud, when the doorbell rang and she walked over to answer the door. She experienced a sense of déjà vu when she was greeted by flowers. She blinked in surprise and wondered if Cloud had sent them to her as well. She smiled and signed for them before taking the vase full of white roses and lilacs.

She shut the door and set them next to the sunflowers, taking in just how much bigger the new arrangement was. The note tucked between the flowers was nearly camouflaged, but she spotted it and plucked it out. Taking the little card from inside the envelope, her smile saddened a little at the words she found there, knowing instantly who the flowers were from. _I'm sorry. I miss you._ It wasn't signed, but she recognized his handwriting. Tifa sighed heavily and leaned in to smell the flowers gingerly.

Cloud walked out of his room to find her that way, staring at the flowers with a sad look and holding the note in her hand. He kept quiet as she stared from his flowers to the ones that were undoubtedly from Zack, a look of indecision crossing her face. Her fingers touched the petals of the white roses and lingered there for a moment. Cloud sighed heavily to himself and a part of him told him that it was indeed too late for himself and Tifa.

"Why don't you go to him and fix things?" Cloud asked, startling Tifa from her thoughts.

She looked up at him and shook her head. "I thought we were giving each other a chance," she said with a forced smile.

"We did. But it's obvious that your thoughts lie elsewhere now," Cloud said quietly. Though it was painful to admit it, he had lost. "Go to him and be happy. Otherwise I'll be forced to kick his ass," he said with a small smile.

Tifa's eyes were watery as they looked into his. "Cloud…"

"Don't Tifa. I'll be okay," Cloud said quickly.

She stepped in front of him and pulled him into a tight hug, a few tears trailing down her face. "I'm sorry. I was really happy that you and I would finally get that chance, but I just couldn't…"

"You couldn't stop thinking about Zack?" he asked with a heavy sigh.

"…Yeah," Tifa said in a small voice. "I want you to be happy, Cloud."

"I'll be happy if you're happy," he said before kissing her gently in goodbye. "Go."

Tifa nodded and grabbed her keys and her bag, heading towards the door. She turned to look at him one last time and gave him a sad smile which he returned. "Thank you, Cloud," she said quietly before she was gone.

Once the door was shut, Cloud sat down on Yuffie's favorite chair heavily and rubbed his hands over his face in frustration. Though it had killed something inside of him to let her go, he knew that he truly did value her happiness far more than his own. He just hoped that Zack valued her and treated her the way Tifa deserved, otherwise he would make the other man regret ever making her even frown in displeasure. Letting out another sigh, he stood and walked into his room to get his mind off of Tifa, though he feared that this time it would be harder than before.

……

She stood outside of Zack's apartment for a few minutes, wondering whether to knock or just leave and tell Cloud that they should keep giving things a try. Though she appreciated the fact that he had moved aside for her to go back to Zack, it still hurt. Cloud had been her first love. But she supposed that her heart had moved on without her brain realizing it. Lifting a hand to knock, the door opened before she could even touch it.

Blue eyes stared right back at her and he offered her a small smile. "I was about to pay you a visit," he said lightly.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

Zack nodded and moved aside to let her into his home. She had been in his apartment before, and nothing had really changed, aside from the black and white picture of her sitting on the coffee table between his leather couch and the entertainment system. "Look… I wanted to apologize for being such a jerk and always bringing up the same thing. It's just that I… I really like you and I'm afraid that Cloud will somehow realize that he really wants you to be with him and that you'll just up and leave me."

Tifa sighed and set her purse down on the small table by the door, where his keys were. "Cloud won't be a problem between us, Zack. I love him like a brother, and though I feel like I still feel something for him… what I feel for _you_ is so much stronger," she said quietly.

"Will you forgive me? Are we going to be okay?" Zack asked, taking a step forward.

Tifa nodded and smiled, moving into his arms so that she could hug him. Feeling the sadness for Cloud tug at her heart, she squeezed Zack harder. "I missed you too," she murmured.

"Did you like my flowers?" he asked, a little brighter.

Tifa pulled away and nodded. "They were beautiful," she said before moving up to kiss him.

Zack sighed and cupped her face in his hands. His fingers trailed over her cheekbones and his thumbs over her lips gently. Leaning forward, he kissed her again and Tifa felt her heart speed up as something changed between them. And though she had wondered if she would freak out when that moment finally came, his touch didn't make her want to run. Sighing into the kiss, she gave into Zack.

………

Yuffie sighed to herself as she flipped through various channels on the TV and finally shut it off. After sharing a rather pleasant dinner with her dear hubby, they had made their way back to their room. She had plopped down in front of the television and Vincent was somewhere outside in the cold.

Letting her thoughts stray to the moment they had shared out in the falling snow by the park, Yuffie wanted to slap herself for allowing him in even a little. Grabbing her phone, she dialed Tifa and waited impatiently for her to answer.

"Yeah?"

"Teef, I'm starting to panic!"

"Uh, Yuffs, can I call you back? I'm kinda in the middle of something," Tifa said, sounding as if she'd been running.

"Teef, if you're exercising, it can wait. I'm having a crisis. My whole plan is going to backfire. Stupid Valentine and his stupid good looks," she muttered to herself.

"I just don't think now is a good time," said Tifa again.

Yuffie had a sudden thought. "What are you doing?" she asked carefully.

"Stuff involving no clothes and lots of kisses," muttered Tifa.

Yuffie made a face. "Eww. With who?"

"With my boyfriend, Yuffie!" Tifa nearly yelled. "Zack and I are still in the process of making up. Do you mind if I call you later?"

"Sure," Yuffie said, sticking out her tongue to no one in particular. "Sorry I interrupted. _Have fun! _And you better tell me all about it later. We'll compare notes on who's better."

_"I don't think so,"_ came a muttered reply, which sounded much like Zack.

Tifa laughed. "Yeah, Yuffs. I'll tell you _all _about it," she said before they both hung up.

So much for asking Tifa for some advice regarding not falling for a man who had blackmailed her into marriage. Just when her opinion of him was at its lowest, he would do something that would make her see that he wasn't all too bad. She didn't want to fall in love with him, no matter how nice and sweet he could be at random moments. That didn't make up for all the things he had done in his life and what he had done to her.

Standing and pulling on her snow boots, Yuffie stepped out through the sliding door in the living room and searched around for Vincent. Letting out a small sigh, Yuffie wondered why Tifa wasn't with Cloud if she'd decided to give him a chance. She knew all about their date, since Tifa hadn't been able to hold it in, though Yuffie really wondered why she was now _making-up _with Zack. Putting all those thoughts aside, Yuffie found Vincent sitting in a Jacuzzi, eyes half lidded as he relaxed in the hot water. She smirked and shook her head. "You're kidding me, right? Do all of your hotel rooms _have to_ have some type of personal pool or hot tub?" Yuffie asked.

"Why don't you stop complaining and join me?" he asked calmly. "The water is nice and hot."

Yuffie scrunched up her nose. "It's too cold."

"You can change into your bathing suit and come out through the bedroom. It's shorter than the walk from the living room," Vincent said. "Or… you can just undress here and come in _without_ a bathing suit."

"I think I'll pass right now," Yuffie said before turning and walking off with a grin. They hadn't been together for a few days now, and she knew that Valentine had an itch that he wanted her to scratch. Still, she wanted to keep him on his toes and what better way than to make him wait until he broke first?

She was in the process of removing her sweater and shirt in the bedroom when hot skin slid around her waist and stomach, making her gasp in shock. "What are you doing?" she asked, feeling his lips move over her neck and shoulder.

"You've been shooting me down for a while now. Is there a reason why?" he asked, voice deep and low against her ear.

Yuffie shivered and shook her head as his hands squeezed all the right places. "You're just too damned horny these days," she said with a faint laugh.

"It's all your doing, you know," Vincent whispered against her ear, letting his teeth skim over the skin right below it. He turned her around abruptly and kissed her as his hands undid the button of her pants and shoved them down with her panties. He drew away from her only to shove off his swimming trunks and then had her pressed into the soft mattress. His skin was still so hot from his recent soak in the Jacuzzi, but he managed to make her own skin feel just as hot as his.

Leaning back on his calves, he gripped her hips and surged forward, making Yuffie gasp at the intrusion. His movements were fast and rough and very much enjoyable. Time seemed to stop as he watched her, taking even more pleasure from the fact that he was the one causing that look of complete rapture on her face. _Let's see if Tuesti or Genesis can do to you what I do, _he thought inwardly, gritting his teeth at the thought of Yuffie under either of the other two men. The feeling did not sit well with him and in that one moment of clarity, Vincent realized that he had lost. She had already managed to worm her way in. Still on his knees, he moved forward so that their foreheads nearly touched, never slowing his movements. "What are you dong to me?" he voiced without even realizing it.

Yuffie panted and looked at him with hald-lidded eyes. "What?"

Instead of repeating himself, Vincent grit his teeth and watched her as her cheeks colored and a sheen of sweat covered her face and body. In that moment, he couldn't remember seeing her more beautiful before. He didn't know what was wrong with him, or why in the past few days he was looking at Yuffie in a new light, but he didn't like the feeling that she was worming her way past his defenses to the point where Lucrecia didn't enter his thoughts as much as she used to.

Nowadays, he found himself thinking of Yuffie and whether she would be happy at something or other, or if she would smile when he teased her, or get angry if he kept something from her. As his thoughts began to blur with the sensations that Yuffie's body was causing, she took the opportunity to push him onto his back, making his breath come quicker as she took over.

"Keep your eye on the prize, old man," Yuffie taunted, placing her hands on his chest for leverage. Then she began to move and they both sighed in pleasure. The look on his face would feed various fantasies, Yuffie mused as she watched him the way he had done to her only minutes before. His eyes had gone a shade darker and his lips were parted with his quick breaths. His usually pale face was flushed and his fingers were digging into her hips with every movement she made.

Her head fell back as she arched, her release coming by surprise when his fingers had moved to stroke the place where they were one, making her call out his name in pleasure. Vincent sat up and kissed her, swallowing her moans and groaning into her mouth as his own body lost control. Hugging her limp body to his, he fell back against the bed and shifted so that they were side by side. He stared into her sated face and reached up a hand to run a thumb over her cheek as she blinked at him and her breath began to calm.

"I've always got my eye on the prize," Vincent said with a smirk.

Yuffie muffled a laugh and didn't resist when his arms pulled her closer against his warm body. With her head tucked under his chin, Yuffie stared at nothing and listened to his still quick heartbeat. That was when her brain began to function properly again and she realized that she couldn't allow him to take control of her heart the way he had her life.

Once she was sure that he was asleep, she slipped out from his grasp and watched him for a moment. He looked so handsome while he slept. His features calm and serene. She reached out a hand to smooth it over his face and caress his handsome features gently. She realized what she was doing and drew her hand away quickly, cursing herself as she grabbed her phone and marched into the bathroom. Turning on the water in order to drown out her voice, she dialed Tifa again.

………

"Is it safe?" Yuffie asked.

"Yeah," Tifa said, holding her phone between her ear and shoulder as she buttoned up Zack's shirt a few buttons. "What's going on? What's the urgency?" she asked in worry.

"I think I'm falling for him, Teef. And I just can't afford to let that happen. I won't give him the upper hand again," Yuffie replied in agitation.

Tifa sighed and stood in the living room, watching Zack as he prepared something for them to eat. "In this case, I don't know what to tell you, Yuffie. I've… I don't know… I've hit my own snag. Cloud let me go so that I could be with Zack. It hurts, but at the same time I hadn't realized how much I missed Zack until he kissed me again."

"Are you in love with Zack?"

"I don't know yet, but… being with him makes me happy. Cloud said he would be okay as long as I'm happy," Tifa said sadly. They shared a long silence. "Talk to me, Yuffie."

"How do I keep my heart out of this?" Yuffie asked.

"Be cold," Tifa said. "If you want him to fall for you without you falling in return. Be cold. Remind yourself of the man he was, of the people he murdered in his Turk years. Remind yourself that he didn't show an ounce of guilt when he forced you to marry him. Remind yourself that at any given moment, he can turn to Lucrecia if he gets tired of you," she said quietly.

Yuffie sighed. "You're right."

"But what if I'm not? What if he indeed falls in love with you and it turns out that he's the one destined to make you happy?" Tifa asked quietly, smiling at Zack when he offered her orange juice. She took it and watched him continue to cook.

"Don't do this to me, Teef. I need you to be the one to keep me level headed in this. I just… I can't bring myself to allow Valentine control of my life and heart," Yuffie muttered.

Tifa sighed. "Then do what I told you. Remind yourself of all of the bad things he's done. I can't guarantee that you won't fall for him despite that," she said softly.

"So I'm on my own," Yuffie said.

"In this… I think you are," Tifa replied.

"All right. I'll talk to you later, Teef. Thanks for listening," Yuffie said.

Tifa nodded to herself. "No problem. But Yuffie?"

"Yes?"

"Maybe you should trust your heart instead of your head more often," Tifa said before they both hung up.

"Was that Yuffie again?" Zack asked.

She nodded and walked over to hug him from behind as he waited for some bread to toast. "She's having a few meltdowns and I'm the only person she can talk to about them," she said, kissing the thin material of his shirt, between his shoulder blades. "I hope you don't mind her calling me at random moments."

Zack turned around and hugged her tightly, making Tifa sigh in pleasure as his thick, warm arms engulfed her. "You're her friend, I understand that. But next time you decide to give me a little lovin', we need to shut off your phone for a while," he said with a grin.

Tifa smiled and nodded, pressing her face against his chest and hugging him again. She hoped deep in heart that by choosing Zack, she was choosing right. Cloud would find someone who didn't have so many doubts, and he would be happy. Tifa decided to ignore the little ache in her chest at the thought of Cloud with someone else again. Instead, she kissed Zack to take her mind off of Cloud.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Sorry! I'm late in delivering this chapter once more, but it's because I've had a really bad week. Hopefully next week won't be so bad and I'll be able to continue updating on Friday's. Still, I hope this chapter was worth the slight wait. Once more, look at the Icicle Inn as a type of regular fancy hotel with restaurants and shops. I know many of you will probably want to egg me or hit me with tomatoes because I basically broke Cloud and Tifa up before they had a chance, but believe me when I say that things _can_ change in the future. I can't give anything away because I'd be giving the other half of this fic away, so sorry! Everyone just wait and see what I have coming up. Also, there is going to be more VinceYuffie romance coming up, so I hope everyone enjoys that. Still, thank you so very much for taking the time to read and to review and hopefully I'll have a new chapter out next week. Have a great week!

Joey

P.S. Tori, don't murder me! I'll try my hardest to have the conclussion to your fic this following week. Sorry for taking so long!


	12. The Honeymoon is Over

……………………………………………

**The Honeymoon is Over**

……………………………………………

Their next stop had been Costa del Sol, and though Vincent didn't mind watching Yuffie prancing around in a bathing suit, he did mind that fact that he wasn't the only man who was watching her. Even against her will, he had restricted their time in the public beach and had made her stay with him in the hotel pool. She'd been acting strange once more, since their first night in Icicle Town and he couldn't place why.

Yuffie on the other hand, had been avoiding talking to Vincent about anything personal ever since her conversation with Tifa. She was wary about anything that could bring them closer, including sleeping with him again. Taking in a breath of fresh air from the ocean view suite, Yuffie watched the waves as the wind blew through her hair. Turning to look into the room, her eyes followed the flex of Vincent's muscles as he walked around the room dressed in nothing but his swimming trunks. The suits he usually wore hid more than anyone knew, and she was having a hard time keeping her eyes from his stomach muscles and his biceps. Curse him for being hot!

Their eyes met momentarily when Vincent sat at the edge of the bed to check the messages on his phone and he frowned when she quickly turned away from him. Setting down his phone, he walked over to stand right behind her, close enough to see the goosebumps move across her bare skin at his proximity. "Is something the matter?" he asked, his lips ghosting across her right shoulder.

Yuffie shook her head and watched the various surfers in the distance. "Just thinking on how things are gonna be when we get back."

"How do you mean?" asked Vincent.

"What do you think?" she nearly spat. "If I see Lucrecia lurking around again when it has nothing to do with business, I will hurt her," Yuffie said seriously.

Vincent tried to imagine Yuffie grabbing the other woman by the hair and nearly chuckled, but then he remembered that Yuffie was not the cat-fight type. She was a trained ninja who knew various ways to hurt a person. Even with her short height, she was dangerous. As much as he sometimes disliked Lucrecia when he was reminded of what she did to him, he didn't wish her to be permanently maimed by his wife. "Lucrecia will not be a problem," he said seriously.

Yuffie didn't turn and shrugged. "I'm not asking _if_ she'll keep being a problem. I'm _telling _you what I will do so that you aren't so surprised later on when you get news that I kicked her ass."

Vincent's arms reached around her to grip the railing she was standing in front of, effectively encasing her between his arms. His lips then did smooth over her cheekbone and over her jaw. Yuffie closed her eyes and swallowed hard at the feel of Vincent's body pressed behind hers. "Would you like it if I took you to dinner and dancing tonight?" he asked deeply.

Yuffie battled her hormones for a few seconds and then gave him a nonchalant shrug. "Whatever," she muttered.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said, kissing her neck. "Don't bother wearing anything fancy, since I know how much you dislike those places. Just get comfortable and we will go somewhere peaceful to have dinner," he said before stepping away from her and walking back towards the room and his phone.

Yuffie wondered briefly why he hadn't even attempted to jump into her pants just then. Sighing once more to herself, she wondered how Tifa was getting along now that she was back with Zack, but still lived with Cloud. Yuffie knew there was bound to be tension, and Tifa didn't react well in tense situations when she was in the middle of it.

………

Sitting back on the couch as she took a break from figuring out the blueprints to Shinra's house, Tifa ran a hand over her face. Cloud had been gone almost the entire evening and she didn't know what to make of that. Being with Zack made her happy and she wanted to be with him, but she had to wonder if she would be forever doomed to wondering how things would've been if she had stayed and tried to make things work with Cloud. Still, had he wanted her to be with him, he wouldn't have sent her back to Zack.

"No more second chances, Tifa," she muttered to herself. For herself or for Cloud. She stood and walked into her room, her eyes catching sight of the image of Zack she had finally framed and was now sitting on her nightstand. She smiled at his smile and couldn't deny that her heart warmed every time she looked at him. She couldn't continue to doubt herself and she couldn't keep stringing along both Zack and Cloud. She would make the most of her time with Zack and she wouldn't look back anymore.

The door to their apartment opened and Cloud stepped in, a box in his arms. Tifa walked over to greet him and looked curiously at what he was holding. "What do you have there?" she asked.

"I've got the uniform, the hair dye and I've got a truck from the cable company back where the chopper is. Tomorrow I'll be going in and since Yuffie isn't here, I'll need you to be my eyes and ears on the outside," he said lightly.

Tifa nodded. "Sure. But how did you get the truck and the opening to get in?"

"I contacted the person who was going to go in tomorrow and offered a few incentives to let me go in his place. Told him that there's this hot girl working for Shinra that I wanted to see, since she doesn't leave the house too much. He agreed and now I'm going in," said Cloud with a grin.

"Okay, then good luck. Do you need help dying your hair?" Tifa asked him.

Cloud smiled and shook his head. "I think I've got a handle on it. If I need your help I'll yell," he said before winking and walking into his room.

Tifa wondered just how hard it was for him to act so okay around her, since she had felt the underlying tension there for a moment. They would get over it. They _had _to get over it. Running a hand through her hair, she wondered if it was time to give it a trim. Then she went back to her blueprints and thought of her hot boyfriend with the sweet blue eyes.

……

Though it wasn't the fancy that she despised, Yuffie found that the restaurant Vincent had taken her to was still a little on the expensive side. Still, she had put on an actual dress, even though it was black and short, and a pair of comfortable sandals to show off her tanned legs—which was something Vincent had loathed. He appreciated the sight, but not when men were staring at her too.

"Stop pouting. Even before the blackmail and marriage you knew that I liked wearing short clothing. I don't mind men looking at me," Yuffie needled.

Vincent gave her an unfriendly look and leaned forward, catching her chin and bringing her face closer to his. Yuffie knew she should've sat across from him instead of at his left in the small, squared table. His deep red eyes were gazing right into hers and she wanted nothing more than to shove his hand off and race out the door, but apparently her arms and legs were not responding to her orders. "_I _mind," he said in answer to her comment.

Yuffie couldn't stop the smirk that slid over her lips. "Does that mean that you're jealous? Could it be that you fell something more than lust for me?" she asked him lightly, eyes playful.

Vincent's eyes roved her young features and he didn't rise to her bait. "Come on," he murmured, standing and tugging her to her feet. Then he led her to the dance floor where slow songs had been playing since they had arrived. He slid a hand across the small of her back and grasped her right hand with the other.

"I don't like dancing," she said in annoyance, moving along lest she make a fool of herself by just standing there.

He just rolled his eyes and let out a small breath as she placed her free hand over his arm. She wasn't tall enough to stare over his shoulder, but she was finding various places to look at instead of him. "Would it be so bad if we were to get closer?" he asked, leaning a bit to whisper into her ear.

Yuffie forced down a shiver and shrugged. "You tell me. Can you get over the fact that you forced me to marry you and then took advantage of the fact that I was drunk to sleep with me?"

Vincent rolled his eyes to himself. She'd never get over that, would she? "Stop acting like you didn't enjoy it."

Yuffie blushed and stopped dancing with him. "The fact that I enjoyed it doesn't take away from the fact that you took advantage of me," she said darkly, walking off towards the outside of the restaurant.

Vincent paid for their dinner and then followed her, slowing his steps as his eyes took in the sight. She was standing at the end of the pier, the wind blowing through her hair, and the ocean stretching out behind her. She made quite a sight. "Would it help if I apologized for sleeping with you while you were drunk?"

"Would you truly mean your apology?" Yuffie asked, looking up at him curiously.

He inclined his head slightly and then turned her to face him fully. "I'm sorry for forcing you to sleep with me."

Yuffie smirked. She did remember the night and as far as her memories went, he had never truly forced her. This was just another step into reeling him in. She sighed quietly when his fingers caressed her cheek, her eyes slipping closed as he leaned forward and met her lips. She didn't know how it had become so easy to just kiss him back, but she wasn't complaining. For all that he was a jerk in a lot of ways, Vincent was a good kisser. Slowly, she moved away from him and raised an eyebrow. "What was that? Another apology?"

Vincent took her hand and tugged her along back towards their hotel. "I can show you a variation of apologies if you'd like," he said with a wink.

Yuffie just shook her head and tugged him towards the sand instead, nearly dragging him down towards the shore. "You brought me on this fake honeymoon so that I could see the sights, not just the inside of our hotel room," she said in annoyance.

They walked towards the warm water and Yuffie pulled off her sandals before letting the water wash over feet. Vincent watched her quietly, taking in her slight smile. Despite always claiming to hate him, she didn't look entirely unhappy. His eyes narrowed when she threw water at him and he stepped even further away from the waves. "Don't play with me, Yuffie. I'm not in the mood to get wet."

"Don't be such a baby," she called as she walked deeper into the water until it reached her knees. "Besides, if you can catch me, I'll let you do _unmentionable things_ to me," she nearly sing-songed.

Vincent wondered what she was trying to do, but he stooped and removed his shoes and socks and then took out anything that could get damaged with water. Then he proceeded to slowly walk towards her, smirking as Yuffie began to walk backwards and deeper into the water. The sun had already gone down, but the breeze was just as warm as the water. "These _unmentionable things_, you'll let me do them to you out here?" he asked in interest.

Yuffie shrugged and darted to the side when he tried to move in on her. "There's no one around to see us," she said, eyes scanning the empty coast. She threw more water at him as he tried to get close, thoroughly wetting the front of his shirt and plastering his hair to his forehead. The was studiously checking out his chest through the damp material and that was the only reason she didn't react in time to get out of the way when Vincent literally pounced on her.

They both went down into the water and Yuffie swore she swallowed a few good gulps of salty sea before she was able to come up for air. "That was for taking me into the pool with you at the Gold Saucer," said Vincent smugly.

Yuffie glared at him and pushed her hair away from her eyes. "Kiss my ass."

"That's not what I want to do right now," he murmured, pulling her up with him and nearly picking her up as he made for the shore.

"You know, I was kinda kidding about doing stuff out here. Anyone from the pier could look over here and spot us and I don't fancy the idea of someone making a sex-tape to give to the media," Yuffie said quickly, very aware of where his hands were going and what they were doing.

Vincent set her down before moving in for a kiss that left her a little dazed. "Maybe all I want to do is kiss you," he said before kissing her again.

Yuffie's eyes refocused at his words. "You never just want to kiss me. You _always_ want something more."

"That's because you always look good enough to eat," he murmured, pulling her down to sit with him in the sand.

She stared at him for a moment, not believing what he had just said. "That is such a lie!" she said with a grin.

"It is not."

"Yes it is! Have you _seen_ me in the mornings before I brush my hair and my teeth?" Yuffie asked him smartly.

Vincent shrugged. "I stand by my words. You don't look that bad in the mornings, though I have noticed that sleeping in works wonders on your temper."

Yuffie smacked him on the chest and hid a grin. "What else have you noticed about me?"

Vincent looked at the dark expanse of ocean before him and thought about it. "I've noticed how much deadlier you can be with your hands than anyone I know. I've seen the way your eyes light up when you look at something that catches your attention and you automatically begin to form a plan in order to steal it. I've also seen how much you love your cousin and your friend and even your father. I've seen the way you spend nearly an hour brushing out your hair and how you observe Elmyra as she does housework. I've also seen… the way you look when I kiss you," he said quietly.

"And how do I look when you kiss me?" Yuffie asked him softly, her hand fisting in the sand.

He leaned in so that their lips were brushing. "Dazed…" He kissed her. "As if I take your breath away…" He kissed her again. "As if… I'm the only man that matters in your life." He kissed her, sliding a hand behind her neck to bring her closer. Yuffie clutched at his shirt and tried to steady her own breathing as he kissed her senseless again.

Drawing away, Yuffie stood and shook sand from her dress. She noticed the look on his face and smirked. "It's good to know that it goes both ways," she said, noticing the look on his face as he stared up at her. "You caught me in the water. I guess that means you get to do all those _unmentionable things_ I promised you could do to me if you caught me," she said before grabbing her sandals and walking off. "I'll meet you in our room!" she called.

Vincent gathered his things too and quickly followed her. He guessed that if the infatuation went both ways, he didn't really mind. At least they weren't talking about love. He was serious about not being controlled by any woman ever again, and no matter how amazing Yuffie was turning out to be, she wouldn't be the exception. Slowing his gait, he let his eyes travel over Yuffie's back and he realized that already he had been letting down his own defenses by pleasing her in every way she wanted or demanded. Maybe keeping Lucrecia near by wouldn't be such a bad idea.

……………

Eyes darting around as he stepped out of his procured cable company truck, Cloud let out a long, slow breath as he was ushered into Shinra's mansion by a bald man and a red-head. "Make it quick. The company took forever to send someone down here and the Vice President is getting angry that he's missed two episodes of his favorite show," said the red-head.

"Reno," the bald one said in annoyance.

"Alright. I'll try my best to see what the problem is," Cloud said with a nod before turning to walk the opposite way into the house.

"Hey, where are you going man? The cables are outside the place," said Reno suspiciously.

"I need to check all the TV's in the house to see if it isn't a malfunctioning wire," said Cloud in a tone that bordered on irritated.

"Alright, but don't lurk. The boss doesn't like it when strangers are in his house," Reno called.

Cloud just waved his hand and walked off. "Black Rabbit, I'm in. Be my eyes," he said into his ear piece.

"Okay, turn left now and walk down the hallway towards the end. There's a TV inside of the office, so you will be able to pretend you're checking it out while I hook us into the system."

Cloud made a noise of understanding and did as Tifa told him. "You're seeing this place, right?"

"Yeah," Tifa muttered, watching on her laptop the feed off of a camera Cloud had put into a button of the uniform shirt. "And I thought uncle Godo was ostentatious."

Cloud half chuckled and located a few hidden cameras. "Security cameras," he muttered, entering the office.

Tifa typed into her computer and located the signal the cameras were using. "Looping the feed… now." Her eyes widened when the security system detected her hack and closed her off. "It just shut me out, Ace. The security system just shut me out."

"Want me to use the mini-pinch to shut down the electricity? That's the only chance I'll have to plant our sensor and get out of here," said Cloud as he crouched behind the large television and pretended to inspect the wires in the back.

Tifa tapped her nails against the side of her computer and then sighed. "I think it's our only option right now. Do it, plant our device, and get out."

Cloud nodded to himself and produced the small device from his tool belt. Setting it on the floor, he pushed the button at the top and watched as everything that was electrical and operating at the moment, shut down abruptly, some of the lamps and lights short circuiting. Once he made sure that the security system was down, he raced towards the window where Tifa had told him there would be some type of hidden wire that hooked into the security system. Peeling a section of it back, he inserted the scanner that was the size of a sewing needle and sealed the wire right back with a piece of matching black tape.

Just as he was stepping back into the room and making his way towards the door, Reno burst in with his partner. "What the hell did you do man?"

Cloud frowned. "Nothin' man. I was taking a look at the TV when everything went down. Without electricity I can't do anything," he said seriously. "You'll have to call to make another appointment."

"Shit. The boss ain't gonna be happy," Reno said to the bald man.

"Between us," said Cloud, leaning in. "What is your boss' favorite show?"

"_Sex and the City,"_ said Reno without thinking.

Cloud let out an abrupt laugh and nodded, making his way towards the front door. "Don't worry, his secret is safe with me!" he said before he was out of sight. Still smirking to himself, Cloud got into the truck and began to drive off, wondering how long it would take them to get back on line. His earpiece had short-circuited too, so he had no way of contacting Tifa just yet. Turning onto the street, he drove a few blocks down and passed Tifa's car, honking to let her know it was him.

Tifa smirked to herself and set her computer aside before starting her car and driving after him. Pulling out the earpiece and inserting the one that went with her cell phone, she dialed his number. "How'd it go?"

"I found out that Rufus Shinra watches, '_Sex in the City'," _he said, still smirking.

Tifa giggled lightly. "I meant, how did the mission go?"

"Successful. We just have to wait for them to get back on line. I inserted the scanner and we'll get the readings on the security system soon. You going home?" he asked casually.

"No. Yuffie comes back today, so I'm going over to her place. She should be there in about a half-hour," Tifa replied.

"Tell her I said 'welcome back,' all right?" Cloud asked.

"I'll tell her. Be safe Cloud," Tifa said.

"You too," Cloud said before they hung up.

Making her way towards Yuffie and Valentine's place, she turned up the music and wondered if anything had changed between Yuffie and her "fake" husband. Tifa had the feeling that Yuffie was just lying to herself when she said that she would never allow herself to feel anything serious for Valentine. She really truly hoped that her whole plan of making the man fall in love with her just to spite Lucrecia didn't backfire.

By the time she arrived at the house on the outskirts of Midgar, it was dark. Tifa drove up the curving driveway and noticed that Valentine's car was already there. Stepping out, one of the maids opened the door and greeted her as she was ushered inside. "I will let Miss Yuffie know you are here," the maid said before walking off with a smile.

Tifa sighed and took a look around, her face breaking into a smile when she spotted Zack and Vincent in the kitchen. Walking towards them, she listened in to what they were talking about.

"… Lucrecia has been calling you again?" Zack asked.

Vincent nodded. "What makes it worse is the fact that Yuffie knows. She informed me that if she sees Lucrecia lurking in the office and it has nothing to do with business, she will hurt her."

"You think she'll go through with it?"

_Of course she will, _Tifa thought inwardly. _Yuffie was never one to share what was hers._

"I don't doubt it," replied Vincent. "This is the best time to set my plan in motion. I can't hesitate, Fair. Any news on what I asked you to do for me?"

Tifa frowned and was about to confront the man when Yuffie called her name loudly and nearly bowled her over with her enthusiastic hug. "I missed you!" said Yuffie.

At the commotion, the men left the kitchen to see them hugging and Tifa's eyes met Vincent's in suspicion. He gazed right back at her and offered her a small, calm nod. "I was starting to think that you would stay and live in one of those many places," Tifa said with a grin.

Yuffie shook her head. "Hell no. There's no better place to steal from than Midgar," she said with a wink. Vincent sighed in irritation, but Yuffie ignored him.

Zack stepped over to Tifa and kissed her. "Hey sweetheart, I missed you."

"We just saw each other yesterday!" Tifa said, but didn't object as his arm squeezed her to him.

"Come on, love birds, break it up. I need to talk to my cousin," Yuffie said before dragging Tifa along with her.

Vincent turned to Zack with a frown. "Do you think she heard anything?"

Zack shook his head. "No. She would've confronted you. Tifa isn't the type to let things slide. Especially where her cousin is concerned," he said seriously. "And about your errand, I should have the pills by next week, don't get impatient."

Vincent nodded. "Good. The quicker this happens, the better."

"Are you sure? You ready to be a father?"

"No, but it's about time and I want Yuffie to be the one to bear my children. They will be something to be reckoned with," Vincent replied with a smirk.

"Yuffie will be something to be reckoned with when she finds out you got her pregnant behind her back," Zack muttered, ignoring Vincent's dirty look.

………

"He's planning something," Tifa said as soon as Yuffie closed the sliding door and they walked out into the gardens.

Yuffie scowled. "Did you hear what it was?" she asked.

"No. You interrupted when you came over to hug me," said Tifa. "Zack is helping him and I can't think of a way for him to tell me. He's been friends with Vincent far longer than what he has known me and I don't think he's the type to just blurt out secret plans."

"We'll find a way. Tell me about the heist," Yuffie said eagerly.

"We had to use the pinch at Shinra. The security system pushed me out and didn't give me a chance to work my magic without shutting everything down. Cloud went home to wait for them to get back online, so hopefully we'll have something concrete tonight," Tifa said quietly.

Yuffie nodded thoughtfully. "If they were able to shut _you_ out, we've got the biggest challenge yet. I think that before this heist, we need to practice. Once you get the security schematics, we'll have to investigate where the jewels are being kept and what type of safe it is. Then we'll construct one of our own, including the room and we'll hook up the security system so that we can practice getting in and out."

"That'll make this thing longer than what we had anticipated," Tifa said thoughtfully.

"I know," Yuffie muttered. "We'll bide our time until we're well and ready. I don't want us to rush into this. That's how thieves get caught." Tifa gave her an amused look and shrugged. "I know. That's how _I _got caught," Yuffie muttered.

"What are we gonna do about Valentine's plan?" Tifa asked.

"Hit him before he attacks me. Help me think of something," said the ninja quietly.

Tifa nodded and they began to plan.

…………

"Sir, Mrs. Crescent is here to see you."

Vincent looked up at Aerith and let out a small sigh. "Did she tell you what she needed?"

Aerith shook her head. This was the first time Vincent ever hesitated in receiving the other woman, and Aerith had to wonder if Yuffie was the cause of this new change. They were married after all, it was about time Vincent gave Yuffie her place as his wife. "Should I let her know that you're busy?"

Vincent shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "Let her in. I'll speak to her. If it takes too long, remind me of our meeting at ten in the morning."

"Sure thing," Aerith said with a smile before stepping out of his office to let Lucrecia in.

Lucrecia walked in, looking as beautiful as he had ever seen her, but there was something missing from the last time he had laid eyes on her. Vincent roamed her delicate features and realized that he was comparing her to Yuffie and finding that she lacked a lot of things that he had found in his young wife.

"What can I help you with?" he asked, very businesslike.

"You haven't answered my phone calls," Lucrecia said.

"In case you hadn't noticed, I was on my honeymoon with _my wife_," Vincent stressed the last word.

"I noticed," Lucrecia hissed, throwing various magazines in front of him. They slid over his desk, many of which had him and Yuffie at their various vacationing spots. The one of them sitting on the sand on the beach of Costa caught his attention, since it was the one on the very front. Yuffie had been right about the media making a sex tape or something of the sort if they would've gone past kissing.

"Yuffie looks beautiful," he murmured absently as he looked down at the ninja's image.

Lucrecia gave him a dark look. "You're doing this to purposely hurt me. Isn't it enough punishment that you went and married another woman? I get it, okay? But you don't have to go out of your way to make me miserable!" she cried, sitting down in one of his chairs and putting her face in her hands.

Vincent felt a twinge of guilt as he approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Have you stopped to think that maybe I married Yuffie because I wanted to? My whole world does not revolve around you anymore," he said calmly, watching as her watery eyes moved to stare at him. Even in her tears she looked graceful, only her cheeks coloring slightly and her eyes reddening very little.

Lucrecia stood and closed the distance between them. "Kiss me."

"What?" he asked, standing up straighter.

"Kiss me and prove to me that she means more to you," Lucrecia said seriously, taking a step nearer to Vincent.

He shook his head. "Go home to your husband Lucrecia."

Before he had a chance to back away, Lucrecia's lips were on his own and he didn't try to stop her. The feel of her hands on his chest stirred something he had thought he had gotten over, and he couldn't stop all his old memories of when he had held Lucrecia in his arms. Against himself, his hands slid around her waist and he kissed her back, momentarily forgetting where he was and the very important fact that he was married to someone else.

There was a throat clearing from the door and Vincent stepped away from Lucrecia as she kept her back to the person. Vincent's eyes met Zack's curious stare and he shook his head. "Leave Lucrecia. I don't want any trouble with my wife," Vincent said seriously.

She stared at him for a moment and then shook her head with an incredulous sigh. "Just the fact that you kissed me back means more to me than any of your words. I will be here when you need me Vincent, because the _girl_ you married is not the one meant to make you happy," she said before walking out of the office, her head held high.

Zack looked at him seriously and handed over a small package. "After what I saw, you still want to go through with this?"

"She kissed me," Vincent said evenly.

"Did you kiss her back?" Zack asked smartly.

He received no response.

………………

Yuffie frowned as she caught a glimpse of someone who looked like Lucrecia getting into the other elevator as she stepped out of one. Walking towards Aerith, she greeted her politely, noting that Vincent's office was open. Waving off Vincent's secretary, she moved towards the door and froze when she heard the near quiet words the men were exchanging.

"She kissed me," Vincent said.

"Did you kiss her back?" Zack asked.

Were they… talking about Lucrecia? Turning to Aerith she tried to keep her temper in check. "Was Lucrecia just here?"

Aerith nodded. "She came in for about five minutes."

"How did she look when she left?" Yuffie asked.

"A little distraught and here eyes were red. She looked a little flushed," Aerith replied.

Yuffie pursed her lips into a tight line and nodded. That meant something had happened between them and according to Vincent's words, they had kissed. "Don't tell him I was here please," she said before turning on her heel and walking away.

Yuffie let out a long, slow breath and felt her anger get the better of her. There would be so much hell to pay the next time she saw Lucrecia.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Ha, I do know that _"Sex and the City," _has been over for a while, but I just couldn't think of anything else, and besides, it makes someone like Rufus be more human. Besides, I have this uncle who absolutely loved that show. Don't ask. He's married. Anyway, how was it? I know I'm late again, but I finally got the chapter done, though it's been a pretty crazy few days. Okay, so we all know Lucrecia will get what's coming to her very very soon. Meaning, the next chapter. But what about Vince and his plan? Will he ever get a chance to go through with it?

I know this chapter was a little rushed, but I wanted to get something out. I don't know when I'll be able to update again, but still, thank you for being so patient and for reading. I appreciate your responses very much. I hope you enjoyed and that you all have a great end of the week!

Joey


	13. White Flag

_Join me in the happy dance, this is the second update in one week!_

……………………………………………

**White Flag**

……………………………………………

The evening following his short encounter with Lucrecia, Vincent went home to a very strange acting Yuffie, even stranger than when they had been at the Icicle Inn and Costa del Sol. First, she hadn't even answered his greeting, and then when he had tried to kiss her, she had flinched away from his touch, muttering something about talking to Elmyra. For the rest of the evening she had kept her distance and whenever he asked her a question, she would reply in a cold or sarcastic tone.

After that, Yuffie had gone to bed far earlier than she usually did and Vincent knew that there was something serious bothering her. Stepping into the bathroom in the middle of the night, he grabbed the opened package Zack had given to him earlier. Checking her original birth control pills, he saw that in a week she would be starting a new package. Removing the original packets from the box, he inserted the fake pills in their place. Whoever had made the new pills had done an excellent job. Placing the box back into its spot, he made to close the mirror door when a voice stopped him.

"What are you doing?" Yuffie asked suspiciously.

"Checking to see if we have any floss," Vincent replied, his hand closing over the original birth control pills he hadn't gotten rid of fast enough.

"Get out, I have to pee," she muttered.

Vincent hid the pills as best he could with his hand and pajama pants before walking out of the bathroom, thanking the fact that Yuffie had been still half-asleep. Moving towards his drawer, he crammed the pills into the far back of his sock drawer and made a note to get rid of them in the morning. Sliding back into bed, he heard the water running before the light was shut off in the bathroom and Yuffie walked out. She got into bed and Vincent frowned when she laid on her stomach as far away from him as possible. "Yuffie?"

"What?" she asked flatly.

"Is something the matter?"

"Why?"

"You're at the other end of the bed."

"I just don't feel like being crowded tonight," Yuffie replied, her eyes staring into the darkness.

Vincent sighed and nodded to himself. "Goodnight, Yuffie."

"Right," she murmured, settling into the warm covers.

………

The next few days turned out to be far more tense than they had been before, when they had just gotten married. Vincent didn't know what to make of that, since every time he tried to get Yuffie to talk to him, she left the room with an excuse of doing something else. She had started drinking the fake pills already and it would only be a matter of time before she got pregnant.

Though Zack had made very valid points regarding his plan, Vincent knew that he couldn't give Yuffie the chance to leave him. Not when his company was on the rise but still had a long way to go before catching up to Shinra. Godo's company would help with that, and in a few weeks, Vincent would visit old Kisaragi with his new plan for the companies. Hopefully by then Yuffie would be talking to him the way she had during their honeymoon. He needed to find out what was wrong and quickly, before he brought up the company plans. He needed Yuffie to be on his side.

He was sitting, eating breakfast and wondering what was taking her so long to join him at the breakfast table. Stirring his coffee, Vincent checked the stocks in his paper. Peering at him from down the hallway, Yuffie scowled to herself. Aside from the fact that he had been planning something against her, Yuffie had to wonder how many times he had seen Lucrecia and how many times he had kissed her or done something more. That was exactly why she hadn't allowed him even a chance to get her into the sack again. He thought that he could go behind her back and kiss his ex like she would never find out? Well, he had another thing coming.

Her eyes narrowed when she heard the faint buzzing of his phone on the nightstand; he must've forgotten it there when he had gone to eat breakfast outside. Walking over to the phone, she picked it up and recognized the first few numbers as Lucrecia's. Huffing out an incredulous breath, Yuffie opened the phone and listened to what the woman had to say.

"Vincent?"

Yuffie didn't answer.

"I know your child-wife must be nearby, so I will be brief. I need to see you again and judging by the fact that you kissed me back in your office, I know that you want to see me too. We can work around Hojo and Yuffie, we just have to take the chance," she said quietly.

So they _had_ kissed. And Lucrecia had the impression that Vincent wanted more? She may have been more experienced in this field, and slightly older than Yuffie, but she had to be ten kinds of stupid if she couldn't realize that she wasn't talking to Vincent. You just didn't blurt things out into the phone without making sure that you're talking to the right person.

"Please, say something. We can still be happy together, and I know that you feel it too," Lucrecia said softly.

Slamming the phone shut the same way she had at the Gold Saucer, this time her temper got the better of her again. Grabbing her own phone and her keys, Yuffie stormed out towards Vincent, noticing the vaguely cautious look he sent her way when he saw her. "What's the matter?" he asked with a frown.

Pulling back her arm, Yuffie hurled the phone into his chest with as much force as she could, and with her ninja weapons training, she knew exactly how hard that was. He grunted in pain at the impact and just stared at her as if she had suddenly grown a second head. "If you're gonna have your whore call you here at home, make sure you always keep your phone with you so that your stupid, fake wife doesn't find out about it," she spat before turning on her heel and walking away and towards the front door.

"What the hell? Yuffie!" he yelled, getting up and going after her. He caught up to her just as she was unlocking the door to her car, and he forcefully turned her around. "What are you talking about?"

Yuffie glared at him furiously, her fists itching to break his pretty face into pieces. "Don't play dumb, Valentine, not when I'm this pissed off." At his genuinely confused look, she let out an exasperated breath. "The woman you kissed back in your office, honey. She called in order to start an affair with you after she confirmed that you still feel something for her by kissing her back. Does that clear things up for you?"

Vincent sighed inwardly, outwardly, he just looked at Yuffie. "You need to calm down before you do something rash."

"_I _need to calm down," Yuffie said in a deathly quiet tone. "You think I'm overreacting?"

He knew that last one was a loaded question. "I think… we need to talk about this."

"What's there to talk about? Did you think that my threats were empty? That I wouldn't truly hurt her? Hell, at this point I'm very ready to hurt you. I told you, Valentine, I am _no one's_ fool. Much less yours," Yuffie spat, opening the door to her car.

"Where are you going?" he nearly growled, stopping her from closing the door.

"Where do you think? I'm off to find someone who will fuck me ten times better than you can, since you and Lucrecia seem to be so happy together," she said before closing the car door and nearly catching his fingers with it.

"Fuck," Vincent hissed to himself, rubbing the spot where his phone had landed on his chest, which was still aching. Scowling to himself, he walked back into his home to get his things in order to get down to the office. Leave it to Lucrecia to always ruin his life one way or another. He'd been a fucking idiot for kissing her back.

……………

Tifa listened and kept tactfully quiet as Yuffie ranted and cursed Vincent and Lucrecia. They had both been called into her uncle Godo's office for something important, and they were both waiting for him to get out of a meeting he had been pulled into. "Take a breath, Yuffs," Tifa said with a frown.

Yuffie shook her head and paced the length of her father's office. "What I need to take is some friggin' alcohol to calm down," she snapped. "He's not gonna keep doing this to me, Teef. I'll hurt him so bad just for kissing her."

"Well, according to what you said about throwing his cell phone, I bet he'll have a bruise," said Tifa, sitting back and taking a sip of her water. "Why does it bother you so much that he kissed someone else? Yuffie, be honest with yourself," Tifa said softly.

"It bothers me because… it bothers me… because…" Yuffie sat down heavily in a chair and ran her hands through her hair. "I can't even think it, Tifa. Especially after what happened. He kissed _her_. He betrayed _me_, that's not something I will easily forget," Yuffie said quietly, all the anger leaving her deflated for the moment.

Godo stepped into his office and noticed the look on Yuffie's face before she could hide it from him. "What's wrong, daughter?" he asked.

She shook her head and forced a smile. "Nothing pops. What did you want to talk to us about?" she asked, standing and walking over to greet him with a kiss on the cheek.

Godo squeezed her briefly before doing the same to Tifa and then taking a seat on his side of the desk. "I wanted to speak to the both of you because what I have to tell you involves this company, and this company will one day belong to the two of you," he said seriously.

Tifa and Yuffie shared a look before turning back to Godo. He continued. "I have been thinking about this since you married Vincent, Yuffie, and I do believe it will be most beneficial. I want my company to merge with Valentine's. Now, before you protest—"

"_Protest!?"_ Yuffie asked in a tightly controlled tone of voice that even hurt to listen to. "I will very well cause a scandal if you even _think _about doing this!" she spat. "He will not have control over our company, do you hear me old man?"

"Yuffie, you're yelling. Calm down," Tifa said in a warning tone.

"No, Teef. I've sat by and agreed to all of my dad's schemes because they've always been harmless for the company, but handing over control to Valentine will be the worst idea in the history of bad ideas!" Yuffie yelled.

"Is something happening between you and Vincent?" Godo asked, noticing the underlying rage in his daughter that had nothing to do with her objection of the merger of the companies.

"Nothing is happening dad," Yuffie assure him, letting out a long breath. "I just don't want my company—Tifa's company—to join with him. Dad, _please_ don't do this. I own a share of this company and I will vote against it," she said seriously.

Tifa nodded. "So will I." Yuffie gave her a thankful look and Tifa smiled in support.

Godo let out a heavy breath. "Why can't you both just look at the benefits?" he asked seriously. "Don't look at this from any personal level. Look at this to see just how much we will grow if we do this!"

Yuffie shook her head. "No dad. I won't agree to this and without Tifa or my vote, you won't be able to merge. I'm sorry. I just won't hand over anything else to that man."

"What have you already handed over?" Godo asked, genuinely curious.

"My life," Yuffie said quietly.

"Tell us something. Has he kept trying to convince you to merge?" Tifa asked with a frown.

Godo gave them both a scrutinizing look. "Is something going on that I should know about?" he asked, his gaze settled on Yuffie.

The ninja shook her head. "We're not merging, dad. That's my final word."

Godo looked at Tifa and she nodded too. "I'm on Yuffie's side."

He let out a defeated sigh and nodded. "You two are more ruthless than any of my business acquaintances. I am convinced that if you both wanted to, you could debunk Shinra and control Midgar yourselves."

"That's the best thing you've ever said to us," Tifa said with a grin, standing and grabbing Yuffie's arm. "But I'm truly sorry uncle Godo. Valentine isn't a man who strikes me as the sharing type. I bet you that if we were to merge, he'd take the main control and would keep you out of the loop as much as possible."

Godo thought about that and wondered what it was that his two princesses knew that he didn't. "Is this something I will be thankful for later on?" he asked.

Yuffie nodded and walked over to kiss Godo's forehead. "Yeah. We take care of you old man, because we love you and we want you to keep what you earned with so much effort. Please trust us in this?"

He nodded with a sigh and smirked. "As long as you promise to make me a grandfather soon!"

_Sorry pops, but there's no chance that Valentine will be touching me any time soon, _Yuffie thought inwardly. "I'm nineteen, on the verge of twenty old man, there won't be any Yuffie juniors running around anytime soon."

"We have to go, but how about we have lunch together tomorrow?" Tifa asked.

Godo nodded and smiled. "I will meet you both at restaurant that used to be our favorite."

"I don't think it'd be a good idea to go to Chocobo Cheese's seeing how we're over twelve," Yuffie said matter-of-factly.

Her father chuckled deeply and looked at his two girls. "You know which place I was referring to. Don't be late or I will begin to eat by myself."

Yuffie nodded and she and Tifa waved before they were out the door. "Go home, Tifa," she said seriously.

Tifa glared at her. "Why?"

"I'm going to do something right now, I don't want you to see it," Yuffie replied.

"Are you going to see Valentine?" Tifa asked smartly, getting into the elevator with her cousin.

Yuffie let out a deep breath and nodded. "Our argument in the morning was cut short because I was that pissed off," she said. "Now this. He's been pressing my father to take this deal. I need to put a stop to that."

"I'm going with you," Tifa said stubbornly.

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"No. You're. Not."

"Do you _want_ me to kick your ass?" Tifa asked, putting her hands on her hips and glaring right back at her.

Yuffie scoffed. "You can try."

"You know that I can match you, Yuffie. Don't make me kick your ass right here in uncle Godo's building. He'll be angry, and the media will have a field day."

"Damn it," Yuffie snapped. Tifa was right. When it came to hand to hand combat, her cousin matched her. "Fine, but don't interfere. I will do what I see fit and you can't stop me."

"Okay. I'm just going because I don't want you to crash your car afterwards out of frazzled nerves. I'm going to help you drive the getaway car," said Tifa as they began to walk towards their car. "I'll leave mine here and we'll take yours."

Yuffie just nodded and unlocked the car for the both of them. It was so time for kicking someone's ass and it didn't matter whose it was.

…………

Aerith bit her lip as she saw Yuffie step off of the elevator. Vincent had told her that the meeting he was in was highly important, and no one was to enter his office. How was she supposed to stop someone who didn't even answer to her own husband? "Hey Yuffie!" she said brightly, completely ignoring the other woman with her. "He's in a really important meeting and I can't let you in."

Despite the fact that she was pissed beyond anything she had ever felt, Yuffie knew she had to wait and at least try to think of what she would yell at him. It wouldn't work for her image if she just yelled gibberish that made no sense. "The meeting is in his office or his conference room?"

"Conference room," Aerith said.

"Then I'll wait for him in his office," Yuffie said before walking through the door. Tifa followed her, not even sparing another glance at Aerith before she shut the door.

"What are you going to do when Valentine is over with his meeting?" Tifa asked, taking a seat in one of the chairs and looking at her cousin as she took a seat behind the large desk.

"The less you know, the better for you. But I do expect you to be on my side with this too," Yuffie said seriously.

Tifa just sighed to herself and wondered where her cheerful, happy cousin had gone. In her place was a vindictive, conniving woman that had snuck into place. If marriage had caused this to her, Tifa realized that she wasn't too excited about getting married anymore. They waited for about a half-an-hour before the murmur of voices in the next room became louder and they could hear the business men leaving.

Yuffie stood and walked over to the door that connected both rooms. When she opened it, she was greeted with a most unpleasant scene. Tifa grabbed her wrist when Yuffie started to move forward, a stormy expression on her face.

"You'll go to prison if you kill her," Tifa reminded.

"I know. That's why I'll only hurt her a little," Yuffie replied, walking into the room and towards Vincent and Lucrecia. He was sitting at the head of the table, looking through some important papers, while she was leaning nearly over him, her chest pressed to his arm. If that wasn't some type of invitation on Lucrecia's part, Yuffie would _give_ her company to Valentine. "Taking out the big guns to get what you want, aren't you Lucrecia?" Yuffie asked, causing them both to look up at her quickly and in surprise.

Lucrecia's eyes were wide as she watched Yuffie advance. Though she was very short in height, there was something about her that made her seem larger than life. "I… maybe I should… go…"

Yuffie smirked as she looked from Vincent to her. "Why? Don't you want to keep seducing Vincent now that I'm here? Did you think I didn't know about the phone calls? The lunch dates? The kissing?"

"It was only one lunch date," Vincent muttered, eyeing her warily.

"And the kissing? It was only once too?" Yuffie asked, eyes on Lucrecia. "Or have you managed to fuck him already."

"Yuffie, that's enough," Vincent said, coming to his feet and giving her a dark look.

"Enough?" Yuffie asked, looking at Tifa with a smirk. Her cousin just sighed and looked away from her. "Enough is you both trying to make a fool of me," she said, closing the distance between them quickly.

Vincent stepped in her path, but she had been waiting for that. Throwing all the strength she could onto her right side, she took him by surprise when her fist connected with his jaw, nearly throwing him to the side. When he straightened, there was blood running from the left side of his mouth, the skin already turning a really obvious shade of red.

"Maybe you should take care of that," Yuffie said absently, rubbing her knuckles and looking at Lucrecia now.

"No… Yuffie we need to talk," Vincent said, wincing when his lip pulled and kept bleeding.

"Maybe you should go, Vincent," Tifa said. "I'm here and I won't let Yuffie do anything stupid."

"I won't leave," he said seriously.

"Are you afraid that I'll leave her too badly scarred that you won't find her attractive anymore?" Yuffie asked in a mocking tone. Suddenly, there was a large, four point shuriken in her hand and Yuffie smirked when Lucrecia nearly fainted.

"Please… this isn't what you think," Lucrecia said desperately.

"Right. All that shit you were spouting on the phone when you called him this morning wasn't what it sounded like?" Yuffie asked sarcastically.

"Yuffie," Vincent said, taking her wrist and turning her to look at him.

"You want a bruise to match on the other side?" she asked him dryly.

Vincent was running out of patience, but Yuffie had a weapon in her hand and he wasn't in the mood to get stabbed. "We have to talk."

Yuffie sighed in annoyance and jerked her hand out of his. She turned back to Lucrecia, who had been trying to back away. "Stay away from Valentine or I will ruin you. I will cause the biggest scandal the likes of which neither of you have ever seen, and then I'll personally make sure you never work in this city again."

"You don't have that kind of power," Lucrecia said in a pathetic, shaking tone.

"Is that a challenge?" Yuffie asked, the metal of her ninja weapon glinting in the light. She moved forward and before Lucrecia could start blubbering about how it was all a big misunderstanding again, Yuffie sent her fist into the taller woman's face, effectively knocking her out and breaking her nose at the same time. "Now we can talk," Yuffie said to Vincent before turning on her heel and leaving Lucrecia sprawled out on the floor, unconscious.

Vincent sighed and turned to Tifa. "Will you tell Aerith to see to her and make sure that Lucrecia gets home safely?" he asked.

Tifa shrugged and made her way out of the conference room door, hoping fervently that Yuffie and Valentine didn't engage in make-up sex while she was stuck outside with the woman who was still in love with her boyfriend.

In his office, Yuffie paced as she tried to keep her anger in check in order to not cut Valentine to pieces with her shuriken. Vincent approached her and Yuffie had her weapon between them right before he could touch her. "Don't. Touch. Me," she hissed.

"You need to stop behaving like a child," Vincent snapped.

The next thing he knew, her shuriken was embedded in the large, expensive flatscreen TV that had been hanging on a far wall. "How would you react if you knew that Genesis was calling me on the phone, asking me to be his lover, trying to convince me that marrying you was a big mistake and that I'll be happier with him? Would you sit back and talk if you knew that he'd be running _his_ hands over my body, kissing me, caressing me, making me call _his_ name?"

Vincent's hands closed into tight fists and he knew that he wouldn't be able to just sit back and allow that to happen, even when their marriage was a sham, and there was no love between them. "I would… put a bullet between his eyes," he nearly growled, closing the distance between them once more.

Yuffie pushed away from him and moved towards the door. "Then you can understand what it is that I'm feeling?"

Vincent sighed and nodded. "I have no wish to make you angry."

"Then make sure that you don't deal with Lucrecia anymore. The best you can do is have Shinra send someone else in her place. If you don't and you keep giving her openings to jump into your pants, our deal is over. I don't care if you send me to prison, I _will _file for divorce," she said before she walked out the door.

Outside, Yuffie found Tifa quietly chatting with Genesis, who looked as handsome as he always did. Smiling as an idea popped into her head, Yuffie shook his hand and watched as he turned it over and kissed her knuckles. "It's so nice to see you again. Maybe you can join Tifa and I for lunch today?" she asked as they walked towards the elevator, fully aware of the fact that Vincent had excited his office to watch her go.

Genesis smiled slowly, noticing her eyes darting behind her to her husband. "Unfortunately, I cannot today," he replied. "I have many things to get done for the company and that means no lunch with gorgeous women. Why don't you give me your personal number and I will call you?" he asked as they stepped into the elevator.

Producing a small card from a pocket, Yuffie handed it over as the doors were closing, and she didn't miss the livid look on Vincent's face. _Eye for an eye, Vincent, _she thought inwardly. Then she scowled to herself, she hadn't even remembered to threaten him to leave her father alone. Letting out a sigh, she smirked at Tifa, who was rolling her eyes at her. That would be a fight for another day.

…………

By the time the sun had gone down, Vincent was still in his office and after calling his home a total of four times after sundown, he knew that Yuffie hadn't gone home yet either. He was pacing looking at a brand new TV on his wall, but his eyes weren't focusing on any of the numbers because the image of Yuffie giving Genesis her phone number kept running through his head.

Zack stepped into his office minus his tie and coat and sighed tiredly. "Not heading home yet?" he asked.

"I was avoiding Yuffie after what happened today, but she is not at home either," Vincent said tiredly, sitting in his chair behind his desk. He ran a defeated hand through his hair. "Do you think she's overreacting?"

Zack thought about it for a moment before sitting down in a chair too. "She does go a little overboard in some aspects, but did you expect her to just twiddle her thumbs while your ex kept calling you and trying to start an affair with you?" he asked him seriously.

Vincent shook his head. "I suppose not. She looked just about ready to chop us both into little pieces this morning," he said with a smirk. And he just couldn't deny that he had been beyond turned on because of it. "How do I get her to make-up with me?"

Zack shrugged. "Grovel. Assure her that nothing aside from that kiss happened. And find out where she is at the moment."

"She won't forget this very easily," said Vincent.

"Can I ask you something and have you answer me honestly?"

Vincent gave Zack a cool look, already knowing what he wanted to know. "You want me to tell you what I feel for her?"

Zack nodded. "Remember to be honest with yourself."

"I stopped being honest with anyone—even myself—years ago," Vincent replied, red eyes focused on the letter opener sitting on his desk. "But I haven't even cleared this up with myself. Yuffie is… she's something different from what I'm used to. She's volatile, stubborn, prone to childish tantrums, and she's used to having her way with everything. But… she is also sunshine, smiles, and… warmth," he finished. He looked at Zack; Zack looked back. Vincent grunted and looked away in embarrassment. "Not a word of this to anyone," he threatened. "This is the first time I even consider these things in a woman."

"I know that," Zack said in amusement. "I've known you for a little more than five years now and I listen and know more things about you than anyone else. I can tell you that this has the potential to be the love of your life."

"Don't say that," Vincent muttered in distaste. "I can't be in love with a nineteen year old girl."

"Why not? You married her. People already think that you're in love with her and judging by those various pictures in the magazine, I don't think any of them were staged. You look happy when you're with her," Zack said seriously.

Vincent scoffed and shook his head. "A man like me can't afford to be happy. It's not in my plans and it never has been," he said with a shrug.

Zack give him a look that made his words feel like total bull. "You were happy while you were with Lucrecia. Yuffie doesn't strike me as the type to run off to cheat on you with another man. What she's doing now, she's doing it to spite you. To return the favor, but I can't really see her as someone who cheats."

"She's a thief, Fair. Lying is just as easy as breathing to her," Vincent put in.

"Go after her. Apologize and be honest and you will see that you can be happy with her. Just, make sure Lucrecia doesn't keep getting in the way. Today she and you both got what you deserved," Zack said as he stood.

"Plans tonight?" Vincent asked, mulling Zack's words over.

Zack shook his head. "I'm trying not to crowd Tifa so much. She needs space so we only go out about three times a week," he said. "Oh, and get her some flowers. Take them to the apartment in Godo's tower. Very last floor. I bet you lunch tomorrow that she's there," he said before he was gone.

Vincent watched him go with a faint smirk and then turned to look at the image of Yuffie sitting on his desk. To keep up appearances, he had placed an image of them together from their wedding day in a nice fancy frame for everyone to see. The photographer had caught them unaware and Yuffie looked particularly beautiful in the angle her profile was in. could it be that Zack's words had any truth in them? Could this woman that was still a child be the key to a happiness he had given up long ago?

Gathering his things, Vincent stood and exited his office, making sure that he wasn't forgetting anything. Once he was in his car, he debated on what to do first. Search Yuffie out and try to smooth things over tonight? Or just leave things the way they were? With a nod, he started his car, his destination clear.

…………

Staring lazily at the ceiling of her old home, sprawled out on a couch like a lazy cat, Yuffie popped another sour candy into her mouth, grimacing as it hit her taste buds. Tifa was sitting across from her, considering what they would need to recreate the safe and the room they would break into to steal from it. "Zack called me and said that Vincent's been moping around his office all day," Tifa said casually.

"Bullshit. Vincent doesn't mope," Yuffie replied bluntly.

Tifa smirked and was about to tell Yuffie how much their materials would come out to when there was a knock at the door. "Who is it?" Tifa called.

"…It's me, Vincent Valentine."

Yuffie sat up and looked at Tifa with wide eyes. "Hide the plans," she hissed, helping Tifa gather everything before helping her to her room.

"Don't have sex on the couch," Tifa muttered before she shut her door.

The ninja let out a laugh. "Get your mind out of the gutter, perv." Yuffie smirked and walked towards the door but didn't open it. "What do you want?" she asked him, staring hard at the door.

"To talk to you."

"About?"

"About all that happened today and about the kiss," Vincent replied. After a long moment of silence, he sighed. "Would you mind opening the door so that I can look at you at least?"

Yuffie scowled to herself for not being able to just ignore him and opened the door. She was greeted with white roses in his hand. She looked at the bouquet suspiciously and then took them. "What are these for?"

"They're… an attempt at an apology," replied Vincent, still standing outside the door.

He had come waving white roses instead of a white flag. She recognized the truce and sighed. "Come in," Yuffie muttered.

Vincent stepped inside and looked around, realizing that he hadn't ever stepped foot in this place before. It was a more modern look with a touch of rebellion that was consistent with the age of Yuffie and her other two friends. "Were you planning on coming home tonight?"

"I am home," Yuffie replied, setting the roses down on the table, deliberately not putting them in water.

"I meant home with me," Vincent said, looking at her seriously. Yuffie turned to look at him, and he was once more struck by her eyes and the vitality they always shone with.

"Do I have a home with you?" she asked, raising one slim eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest.

Vincent set his coat down on her favorite chair and walked over to take her hands in his. "I believe you do. It's up to you whether you want to accept it or not."

"How can I accept anything you offer when you allow that woman to still have control over your life? You say you feel nothing for her, but I see differently. You show me differently. I have told you many times that I will not just sit here and act like your wife while you're off with her," Yuffie said, trying to pull her hands from his grip.

Vincent shook his head and held her tighter but without hurting her. "I will accept that I kissed her back, but other than that, nothing else drew me to her the way it once was, and nothing else has happened between Lucrecia and I. Being with _you_ has been a new experience for me and I will not lie and say that I love you, but I… I know that I do feel something for you that is not just attraction. The question now is, what do _you_ feel for me?"

Yuffie shrugged. "I don't know. It hasn't been total hell to be married to you, but you do find the best ways to piss me off. If you're seriously considering what I think you are, you need to kick Lucrecia out of your life permanently," she said, looking away from his intense eyes.

"Did it make you jealous… the thought of me being with her? Going back to her?" he asked, no mocking tone or sarcasm.

Yuffie sighed and wondered whether to tell him or not. The grip on her wrists had loosened, but she had not tried to draw away again. "Does it make _you_ jealous to think of me with Genesis?"

He let out a smile sigh and smirked faintly. Yuffie took that as a yes. "Are we seriously going to try this?" she asked.

Vincent shrugged. "That's up to you, whether you want to take the chance or not."

"Is this a ploy to get my father's company under your power?" Yuffie asked abruptly, stepping back and pulling her hands from his.

Vincent let her go and didn't move to follow. "No."

She searched his eyes, tried to find a lie behind them, but for the life of her, she couldn't. Her heart was on her side, but her brain wasn't. Why was he acting so different all of a sudden? Was he truly being honest, or was he trying to manipulate her once more? "Swear that you'll leave my father alone. Though even if you don't, Tifa and I will never vote in favor of you making our companies one. Just… don't double-cross me, Valentine, I can be far more dangerous than what you saw today."

"I know that," he said quietly. "And this isn't a ploy to further my own plans. I don't… our time during what you call our 'fake honeymoon' was enough to show me that if we try, we can truly make this marriage work. We can shape it into something good for the both of us," he said.

"We can?" she asked with a slight grin.

"If we put effort and time into it without bringing up our past doings."

Yuffie let out a small snort. "Like the blackmail and the taking advantage of me while I was drunk?"

"Exactly."

"Hmmm. It sounds like you have a plan," Yuffie said, smiling slightly.

"Then will you try with me?" Vincent asked, lifting up her chin so that their eyes could meet.

"Will _you_ make an effort to change a few things for me?" Yuffie asked. Vincent nodded and leaned in to kiss her, but she moved back until they were in an awkward pose. "If you double-cross me, I'll hurt you," she promised, no mocking or joking in the look in her eyes.

"No double-crossing here. I promise you, so long as you do the same," he said, and once more, he was being honest with her.

"So… we'll start out as if we'd just met and then go from there?" Yuffie asked, slightly embarrassed.

Vincent smiled slightly at the blush on her cheeks and nodded. "There are things that we'll keep on doing that we wouldn't do if we'd just met."

"Oh yeah, like what?" Yuffie asked, taking a step away from him and closer to her old room. She saw his eyes narrow slightly, and that look of seduction come to his eyes. She already knew that look as well as she knew when he woke up in a good mood or a bad mood in the mornings. "Oh… _that_."

Vincent nodded and followed her into her room, shutting the door after him.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Okay, so we've reached a truce after Yuffie nearly killed Lucrecia with one punch. Question is, will it last? I was totally inspired by this chapter because of Lucrecia getting knocked out and by one of J.D. Robb's books from her "In Death," series. Anyone read them? If so, I borrowed the idea of Yuffie punching them both from the book, _"Innocent in Death." _If anyone knows this book, you'll know which part I'm talking about. Okay, back to the story, I know it may seem abrupt for Vincent and Yuffie to be together now, but it's not like they're already talking about love. It's the whole process of getting to know each other that should've come before the marriage and all that. So expect more romance and a little fluff, and we'll see what Lucrecia thinks about it all. Also, there will be more ZackTifa, but don't hurt me, CloudTifa fans, I have a oneshot in the works that I'll hopefully get out soon as a peace offering!

Now, thank you so much for reviewing, since I don't think I replied more than one review for the last chapter. I'm sorry. I had to practice my French—which isn't very good yet—and I dedicated my time to this chapter. Still, all your comments and encouraging words fuel my muse, so keep them coming and thank you! I'll see all next week and I hope you enjoy your weekends!

Joey


	14. Trouble

_Warning: Adult situation towards the middle. Don't read if you don't like that sort of thing. You've been warned..._

.......................................

Trouble

.......................................

The morning after, Vincent awoke to an unfamiliar room, but to the familiar scent and feel of Yuffie in his arms. Blinking into the still the dark room, his eyes roamed over what had once been her bedroom. The room was filled with images of her family and friends, just as her room in Godo's home had been. But this one had more of a warm feeling to it, since it had more than likely been decorated by Yuffie herself.

Sitting on one wall, as if it were the focus of the entire room, was an even larger shuriken than the one that she had left embedded in his old TV back at his office. He couldn't hold the smirk that came over his face as an image of Yuffie punching Lucrecia came to mind. He wouldn't egg his young wife on, but he was smart enough to realize that he and Lucrecia had deserved it; he just wouldn't accept that out loud.

Sighing, Yuffie rolled onto her stomach and blinked sleepily at him. Her eyes shut once more, but then came open again as her head rose quickly. "What time is it?" she asked groggily.

"Early," said Vincent quietly. "The sun is barely rising."

"That's a nasty bruise you've got there. Did a door hit you?" she asked with a lopsided smile, burrowing her face into her pillow.

Vincent ignored her little jab and slapped her blanketed behind, making her grunt and elbow him roughly in the ribs. "We should go get breakfast," he said.

"Maybe _you _should get _me _breakfast in bed," Yuffie said, pulling the blankets over her head.

"How about we go to an all you can eat buffet? Imagine all the bacon and scrambled eggs with cream cheese on toast, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Besides, no one will care if I'm wearing a wrinkled shirt or that I'm bruised if we go somewhere that isn't so high profile."

Her stomach grumbled and Yuffie just knew that Vincent was smirking in triumph. "Fine," she snapped, pushing the blankets off and sitting up in bed. Her cheeks colored when she realized that she was naked and that Vincent's eyes had greedily been taking in what she had uncovered. "Geez, Vince, take a cold shower," she muttered, grabbing a robe that was nearby and pulling it on.

He hid a smile at the nickname and sat up too. "There's no need to be embarrassed. You're a very beautiful woman. Even more so when you're not wearing any clothing. I've seen you nude plenty of times, it's not like I'm a stranger anymore," Vincent said, getting to his feet completely devoid of any clothes or blankets.

Yuffie stared for a moment, she just couldn't help it, but then she turned away and walked into her bathroom to start the water, grumbling about his lack of modesty. But really, what man who looked that good naked would want to be modest? She turned to brush her teeth and then handed Vincent a spare toothbrush with toothpaste. She scowled to herself when she realized just how wifely she was acting. Rinsing out her mouth, she dropped her robe and slipped into the water, cursing herself in her head. She had so been manipulated by Valentine the night before, but if he truly wanted them to be together, she wouldn't mind one bit. All he had to do was prove it by leaving her father alone and getting rid of Lucrecia. That's all she was truly asking of him.

Vincent for his part, was debating on whether or not it would be wise to continue with his plan to get Yuffie pregnant. If things truly did work out between them, it would ruin everything at this point if she found out that he had purposely gone behind her back to get her pregnant. Sighing to himself, he made a note to change her pills back to the real ones. After all, he did want a relationship of his to finally work. He'd been known in the Turks as a notorious womanizer in his younger years. It was about time he truly did settle down.

As they finished showering and he was forced to pull on the clothing he had wore the day before, he watched Yuffie curiously as she dressed in one of her many ninja outfits. He had noticed that she loved her boots, though some of them were of a very strange design. As she stood, pulling on a hooded, sleeveless vest, Vincent watched her as her eyes settled on a beautifully crafted box. She sighed and took the box from where it had been sitting in her closet, amidst various ninja stars and other sharp weapons. Opening it, she began to pull out the materia orbs that she had stolen from him a few months before.

"Since we're still negotiating peace terms, I want you to have these back," Yuffie said, carefully placing the orbs onto her bed and looking up at Vincent. She forced down a hot blush when she found him staring at her.

"I had wondered if you had sold the materia once you had stolen it," he said thoughtfully. Yuffie rolled her eyes and turned to place her box back in its place. A hand on her shoulder stopped her and turned her back around. "I want you to keep them," Vincent said seriously.

Yuffie's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why?" she asked.

Long fingers slipped into her damp hair to pull her closer. "Most women like their men to give them jewelry. I seriously doubt you're that type of woman," Vincent murmured.

"You're right," she replied, her eyes sweeping over his lips. "So, you're my man now?"

He grunted. "What did you think yesterday was all about?"

Yuffie smirked and pulled him down into a slow, hot kiss, her heart hammering at the sound that came from deep in his throat. If this would be his reaction every time she kissed him, she would make sure to initiate it more often. "I'll hold you to that, you know. You're _my_ man now and I don't like it when other people touch what is mine."

"We agree in that," Vincent said with a nod. He took the materia so that they could go back into Yuffie's box and curiously took in the things she had inside. There were various letters, a piece of jewelry and a few other things that must've had some kind of emotional significance to her. He found himself reaching a hand to pick at something, but Yuffie nearly caught his fingers when she closed the lid and turned to put it away.

"We're not that close just yet," Yuffie muttered before she began to walk towards the door. Vincent just sighed and followed her. They both waved at Cloud and Tifa, who were already at the breakfast table and both sipping on cups of coffee.

Cloud sighed as soon as they were gone and turned to Tifa, who was trying not to laugh. "I didn't take Yuffie as a screamer," he muttered.

Tifa let out an ungraceful snorting laugh and nodded. "That's not something I wanted to know either," she muttered. Her laughs trailed off and she stared down at the half-full cup in her hands. "So... how've you been, Cloud?" she asked him with a small smile.

Cloud shrugged. "As good as I can get, I guess. I need you and Yuffie to come with me to see the chopper. Cid made some more adjustments to it. I think he looks forward to trying out new things on it, since I won't let him touch Fenrir. Point is, he wants us to be there when he shows us the newest additions," he said.

Tifa nodded. "I'll tell Yuffie when I see her again. Which by the way things looked, will be probably next week. She's acting like a true newlywed," she muttered.

The blond man frowned. "Why? I thought she hated him."

"Things must have changed. We can't be against her if she has decided to be with this guy," said Tifa seriously.

"Even after he forced her into the marriage?" Cloud asked smartly.

"If she can truly forgive him for that, so can we," Tifa said with a small shrug.

Cloud met her eyes and noticed how she looked away quickly. "Can I ask you something?"

Tifa nodded. "You know you can always ask me anything," she said, forcing a cheerful smile.

"Did you tell Zack about our date while you and he were broken up?" he asked curiously.

She hadn't truly been expecting that question and it threw her off a little."I... uh, no. He didn't... I didn't want it to start another argument," she said quietly. Cloud just nodded and it was his turn to not meet eyes. Tifa sighed, realizing that keeping her date a secret had hurt him in a way. "I don't regret it, even now, that we gave each other a chance to see how things could've been between us."

Cloud nodded and stood. "Are you happy?" he asked with a slight smile.

Tifa nodded. "I am."

"Good."

"Are you?"

"Yeah. I met a girl."

It was only fair, Tifa reminded herself. "Good luck with that," she said honestly.

Cloud nodded and smiled. "Thanks. You too," he said before standing and walking off towards his room, coffee still in hand.

Letting out a long sigh, Tifa wondered what this mystery girl was like. All she hoped was that Cloud hadn't made her up just to make her feel okay.

...

"Ya know, when you asked me if I could build you this thing, I didn't think much of it. But then... Shera said some shit about this room being in a magazine spread for Shinra's home, and I realized what it was that you were doin'. I don't question the bullet holes the bird has returned with twice before, nor the fact that the Yuffs has a bullet scar on her arm, but I'm starting to think that you kids are nothin' but fuckin' trouble," muttered the blond man with a cigarette hanging from his lips.

Yuffie grinned and slapped the pilot on the back. "Don't worry about it, Cid. As long as you keep this to yourself, there's no reason for you to worry."

"What, are you gonna fuckin' kill me if I blab to someone? Because Shera knows about everything I do," Cid replied.

Tifa smiled. "Whipped much?" she asked in amusement.

Cid glared at them before turning to Cloud, who was inspecting the chopper a few hundred feet away. "How did ya survive living with these two?" he called.

Cloud shrugged. "They just love me that much," he replied, walking towards them to take a look at the exact replica of the room they would be stealing from. "Are we sure that what we're looking for is in this room?"

"Where else?" Yuffie asked with a frown. "We can't possibly know what we'll find in the safe, but at least we can practice getting into it."

"Should I walk away?" Cid asked, looking at them all curiously.

Tifa smiled and patted his arm. "Maybe. Plausible deniability and all that. The less you know about what we're truly doing, the better for you."

"All three of you thieves?" asked Cid curiously.

Yuffie shrugged. "Maybe. But you can't truly know. Otherwise we'd be forced to kill you for all that you know."

"What did you think all the additions and upgrades on the chopper were for?" Cloud asked in amusement.

Cid shrugged. "Shit, I don't know. I guess I didn't truly think about it. I've known the snot-nosed ninja brat since she was born. Her pops and I went to school together so I never really thought she'd be a hardcore criminal," he said, lighting up another cig.

"You should quit that shit," said Yuffie. "I bet Shera would miss you if you croaked."

"Admit it, damn brat, you'd miss me too. You and your little friends," said Cid with a smirk.

"Keep dreaming old man. Now, don't get too freaked out by all the new technology. My cousin here is a brain when it comes to security systems. We're going to practice once today and then we'll keep modifying and upgrading. We'll also need to include various scenarios," Yuffie said, stepping into the replica of Shinra's office.

"Fuck, I have to see this," Cid said, grabbing a chair from a nearby place and taking a seat to watch them work.

"You know, this means you're our accomplice," said Tifa.

"I can suddenly get a bout of amnesia if anybody asks," he replied with a shrug.

Tifa just smiled and turned to Yuffie who nodded. This heist would either make or break their careers as thieves.

...

Zack didn't know if he was in love, but the way his heart jumped in his chest every time Tifa smiled at him had to mean something. He had never met a woman that moved him the way she did. She was beauty, sunny smiles, and gentleness. She was everything he had ever really wanted. That was why he was enduring a painful Sunday shopping with her. She was so very far from being boring, but his manly hormones could only take so much of her modeling short dresses for him. Not to mention that the lingerie and the bathing suits were driving him crazy. She hadn't come out to show him those, but she did make it a point to describe them in very exact details.

"Don't pout," Tifa said in amusement. "I've picked out a bra and panties set that matches your eyes," she said in a breathy voice that made his cheeks color, but not in embarrassment. "Not to mention a very revealing bathing suit that leaves little to the imagination."

"How little?" he asked, wanting to kick himself, even before she answered.

_"Very,"_ she murmured, feeling his fingers dig into her hips roughly. "If you're a good boyfriend, I'll finish up quickly here and we can go to your place to do more interesting things," Tifa said with a smile.

"How much longer are you going to take?" asked Zack, not hiding the grimace at the thought of Tifatakingmuch longer going from store to store. He had always been more patient than most, but shopping did get on his last nerve, even if it was to buy clothing for himself.

Tifa gave him a flat look and turned to walk back into the changing room. Zack kept his boring perusal of the shop and let out a long sigh. He smiled politely when every woman he passed gave him an appreciative look. He was starting to get a little antsy when he noticed a woman walking towards him, a purposeful look on her face. He turned and nearly ran into a very familiar face. He smiled brightly. "Hey, Aerith!" he said, thankful that he wouldn't have to deal with shooting a girl down.

"Zack, what are you doing here?" she asked him sweetly.

He shrugged. "Trying to find a dress that doesn't clash with my eyes," he said humorously. "Actually, I'm here with Tifa."

At the mention of the other woman, the shine in her green eyes faded a little. "You're still with her," she said. It wasn't a question.

Zack nodded. "She isn't a bad person, Aer. She means a lot to me."

"So did I, at one point," Aerith replied, not able to meet his eyes.

"Yeah, you did. But we both wanted different things. You went after Cloud and you left me behind. I've found someone who is making me happy now," he said quietly.

"Are you sure she's not with him behind your back?" she asked him softly. She hadn't meant to sound like a bitter ex, but that was exactly how she was making herself look. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that. It's just that Tifa isn't my most favorite person and what happened between her and Cloud right before we broke up made it all worse. Now she's with you, you who used to be such an important part of _my _life. I just can't trust her completely."

Zack shook his head. "I trust her, and that's enough," he said softly.

Aerith nodded, feeling uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. I should go," she said before walking away from him quickly.

Tifa approached him, catching sight of the long, thick, brown braid as it trailed behind Aerith's retreating form. "Was that...?"

"Aerith, yeah," Zack replied.

Tifa noted the small sad look on his face and walked over to place her things on the counter so that the sales person could start ringing her up. She turned to Zack and hugged him around the waist, marvelling at just how tall and thick he was. He was like a great big teddy bear. Of course she wouldn't tell him that because it was too embarrassing, but she was happy just thinking it. "Do you still feel anything for her?"

Zack stared at her with his vibrant blue eyes and shook his head. "She's my friend, and I care about her the way you care for Yuffie, but for a long time I felt for her what I feel for you now," he said honestly.

Tifa stood on the tips of her toes and pressed a kiss to his forehead, a little smug over the envious looks she was receiving from the various other women at the store. "I don't think she's given up on you yet," she said quietly.

Zack's eyes darkened into something that made her catch her breath. "That's too bad for her. It's you and me now, and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize what we have," he said quietly.

She smiled up at him and then slipped out of his hold when the saleswoman gave Tifa her total. To Zack's surprise, she hadn't spent as much as she had at previous stores and he wondered just how used to having money she was. "Ah... Teef, is this what you normally spend every time you go out shopping?"

Her eyes narrowed at his tone. "Don't worry about that. My parents left me enough money to be happy for ten lifetimes, and uncle Godo gives both Yuffie and me some shares too. I give to charity and I spend the rest on myself," Tifa said with a little grin. "Besides, I do like to play the stock market and that adds to the money that I don't necessarily need."

"If only I'd known what a spoiled brat you were before I asked you to be my girlfriend," he murmured, chuckling when she elbowed him in the ribs.

"Very funny, wise guy. I may seem spoiled, but I'm not. I love doing charity work and donating for organizations. Not for the recognition, but because there are so many people in need out there that no one else gives a crap about. Just think about it," she said as he took her new and previous shopping bags and walked her out. "If every single rich person here in Midgar donated a few thousand gil a year, the slums wouldn't be filled with so many homeless and orphaned children."

"Is that why you and Yuffie steal?" Zack asked quietly.

Tifa nodded and slipped her hand into his free one. "That's one reason, but the main one."

"What's another reason?" he asked, truly interested. This was a side of Tifa he hadn't listened to before. It was captivating.

"We're just that good at it. I can give Reeve a run for his money in the technology department though he still has more years of experience than I do. Yuffie, she has the skill and the stealth to handle the dirty work." Tifa froze and turned a critical eye on him. "You're not by any chance taping this conversation in order to turn me into the police, are you?" she asked suspiciously.

"Of course not," said Zack. "Then who would I have to model their lingerie and bathing suits for me?"

"You pig!" Tifa exclaimed, slapping him in the back of the head.

Zack let out a deep laugh and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a short kiss. "I was kidding, sweetheart. But hey... you're still going to show me the ones you promised, right? The bra thing that matches my eyes?" he asked hopefully.

Tifa shrugged. "Just one condition though."

"Anything."

"That you find some boxers that match _my_ eyes!"

"You've got yourself a deal," Zack said with a grin, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissing her temple. Well, he still didn't know if he was truly in love, but he did know that he was happy to be with her and that she was with him. Besides, he was a sucker for matching lingerie.

...

That very same Sunday, Yuffie found herself incredibly bored herself. She'd been living in peace with Valentine and he had promised to do something about Shinra changing the person they sent over to deal with him so that Lucrecia would no longer come over to pester him. If that wasn't an indication that he was serious about them _getting serious,_Yuffie didn't know what was. As she made her way towards the kitchen for some water, she heard one of the maids answer the door and receive something from a messenger. Grabbing a cool bottle of water from the fridge, she intercepted the woman, who handed over the large envelope.

"This came by messenger?" Yuffie asked in interest.

The woman nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Valentine. I thought it was strange too, but it is addressed to both you and Mr. Valentine."

Yuffie nodded. "Please just call me Yuffie? Mrs. Valentine is just a tad creepy," she said with a grin as the maid nodded and Yuffie turned to walk off to find Vincent. On her way, she opened the letter, which was starting to look like an invitation and her eyes narrowed when she saw exactly what it was for. She found Vincent in his training building, underground in the shooting range. "We are _not _going to this!" she yelled once he had finished emptying a mag from his gun. With a start, Yuffie saw that it was the Cerberus.

Vincent removed the eye and ear protectors and turned to her. "Pardon?"

"This!" she nearly spat, throwing the invitation near his guns and bullets. "It will take hell freezing over for me to go to that _thing_."

Vincent set down the gun and took the invitation, a look of distaste on his features when he saw the fancy script. "My foster father will expect me to be there. So will Sephiroth."

"Why do you give a crap about what they want?" Yuffie nearly yelled.

"Sephiroth is my brother. He was more family than Hojo was. Besides, this would be our chance to show Lucrecia that we're serious and that she's history," Vincent said with a slight smirk.

Yuffie glared, planting her hands firmly on her hips. "Do you want me to end up making a scene for the media? Because with Lucrecia, you know it'll come down to that. This is their anniversary we're talking about, Vincent. I'm sure neither of us wants to make a spectacle in public."

Vincent shook his head. "I'm sure you will manage not to make a scene. You're more mature than that," he said in a mocking tone.

Yuffie grabbed Cerberus and aimed it at Vincent's head. "Care to repeat that?"

He looked at her coolly, staring down the barrel at her. "Careful. You might slip and do something you regret," he said in a low tone.

Despite the fact that his voice always managed to make something stir inside her, Yuffie just cocked her head to the side and sighed wistfully. "I know how to handle guns."

Vincent's eyes swept over her bottom lip when she licked it. "You know how to handle a triple-barrelled gun?"

"Maybe," she said tauntingly.

Catching her by surprise, Vincent grabbed her around the waist and turned her to face a target, pressing her bottom against him. He felt her shiver in surprise and he let one of his hands slide across the bare skin of her waist. "Show me," he whispered against her ear, watching as the hand holding his most prized weapon shook a little.

"What do I get in return?" she asked breathily.

"How about we shoot and see who is most accurate? If I win, we go to the anniversary, no arguments," he said, trailing a finger inside the waist of her shorts. "And if you win..."

"I want Cerberus," Yuffie finished. She grinned to herself when his hands stilled. She waited for the negative, but none came.

Vincent stepped away from her. "Fine. You have yourself a deal. We use regular guns. No Cerberus just yet."

Yuffie nodded and grabbed one of his regular weapons, sliding in a magazine with amazing ease. She could feel his eyes on her, and it was distracting to a point, but Yuffie had always made sure to pay close attention to her training. Taking her position behind the counter next to the one he had been using after putting on the ear and eye covers, she raised her arms and let free all the bullets in the gun.

Instead of keeping his eyes on the target that had taken a barrage of bullets, Vincent found his eyes drawn to Yuffie's shooting pose and in the ease in which she was using the gun. It made him wonder what other things she had done had not been included in her reports. Continuing with his slow perusal of her pose, he hadn't even realized that she had already finished.

Yuffie smirked at the look on his face and turned to him. Before she could give him any type of smug retort, his lips were on hers, demanding for her to yield control to him. Sliding her hands up his arms and shoulders, she slipped them into his hair and tug roughly. He growled against her lips and dug his teeth into her lower lip. "I thought this was a challenge," she gasped out. "Weren't you going to shoot?"

"You win by default," he murmured, using his lips against her neck and his hands under her shirt.

"What?" Yuffie gasped, feeling the wet pull of his lips on one breast, then the other.

"You win by default because you have a _perfect _form," he said, using quick fingers to tug off her shorts and panties.

"You're kidding, right?" she asked, breathless when his fingers began to ready her for him.

In reply he only kissed her, grabbing her bottom and hauling her up onto the table next to the one holding his guns. Yuffie watched with half-lidded eyes as he made quick work of his belt before shoving down his pants and boxers. "Geez, Vince, you act as if you haven't gotten laid in months," Yuffie teased, feeling his fingers dig into her hips as he positioned their bodies.

Vincent looked up to give her some type of retort, but he caught sight of her eyes, such a soft shade of brown, sparking with a bit of confusion as he reached a hand up to run over her cheek. He leaned forward and kissed her gently, smoothing his hands over the skin of her hips gently, trying to ease the red marks he had left in his near frenzied state only seconds before.

Yuffie kissed him just as softly, still confused at his sudden change. She wouldn't deny that it was damn good when he took her desperately, sometimes rough, but she never minded. She also didn't mind when he took his time, when he was slow and gentle, though those times had been very few in the last few months since they had married.

"You win," he whispered, pushing into her warm, welcoming body.

She gasped and clung to his shoulders, shivering when his hot breath touched her shoulder. "You won't make me go to the party then?" Yuffie asked, her eyes closing as he began to move.

"No," he rasped out, finding a slow, strong rhythm that worked for the both of them.

"We shouldn't be... doing this here. What if someone walks down here... looking for you?" Yuffie managed to voice.

"They all know better than to interrupt me while I'm training," Vincent replied, angling her hips so hit deeper. Hearing her drawn out moan only managed to raise his desire for her, but really, it had been that way since the first time he had touched her. Using his back and hips with more force, he groaned when her still boot-clad legs wrapped around his hips as best she could. He planted his hands flat on the table behind her and Yuffie was forced to either fall back or cling to him, but she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and clung to him as he truly began to move.

Her breath was fast against his ear and though it was as good as it always was, Vincent could feel something changing between them. He didn't know if that meant that she truly believed he was taking her serious now, but it was different. Her touch was less hesitant, and she felt more welcoming. "Harder," she whispered. "Harder, Vincent!"

He gladly obliged and was rewarded when a few thrusts later, her body tightened to the point of near pain around him. Her lips moved softly over his face, his neck, and his collarbone, making his own breath come out in rough pants as he neared his own release. But then she dragged her nails down his back in a not too painful manner, and the sensation made him shiver and let go with a shout of her name. He fell forward, pressing her into the table as he tried to get his breathing under control.

Yuffie slipped her arms around his neck and hugged him as she stared up at the ceiling, her own body still sensitive to any movement. "You really won't make me go to the party _and_ you'll give me the Cerberus?" she asked him after a long moment of just laying there with his heavy weight over her.

Vincent moved to lean on his elbows and kissed her, taking his time and tasting her languidly, thoroughly. Then he pulled back and nodded. "If you do not wish to go, we will not go," he said seriously.

Yuffie let out a sigh and averted her eyes from his crimson gaze. Then she turned back to him and smoothed his hair away from his forehead, smirking slightly. "I guess we could go for a little while. As long as you promise not to find yourself alone in any room with her," she muttered.

Vincent raised an eyebrow in surprise before sitting up and pulling Yuffie with him. "You are willing to go to this party?" he asked, a little disbelieving.

She shrugged carelessly and began to dress, making a note to herself that she needed a shower within the next few minutes. "If your brother means so much to you, we'll go for him, but let's not draw it out. We'll give them a gift, mingle for an hour, and then we're gone. Okay?"

He pulled his pants back on and nodded. "I think that is an acceptable bargain, since you own my most favorite gun now." Vincent paused and smirked when Yuffie ran careful fingers over the barrels of Cerberus, touching the engraved silver dog heads from which it had been designed. "Take care of it, and don't sell it."

Yuffie let out an honest laugh and nodded. "If I didn't sell the materia, what makes you think I'll sell this bad boy?" she asked with a grin. "I'll keep it in your office for now, but if anyone asks, it's my property."

Vincent nodded and began to remove the magazines from his guns before depositing them into a hidden safe where various other guns were located. Then he stepped back and turned to Yuffie, who was watching curiously. "Yes?" he asked expectantly.

"You'll give me the combination to that, won't you?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Will you tell me if you've ever shot someone?" he asked, pushing a button so that the thick paper of the target she had shot zoomed towards them. He looked at it in amazement, seeing that all her bullets had been on target.

Yuffie shrugged. "I've never killed anyone, if that's what you truly want to know."

"But you've shot someone?" Vincent pressed.

"Maybe," she replied evasively. They were silent for a moment and Yuffie smirked. "You do know that I can find a way to get into that safe if I wanted to, right?"

Vincent rolled his eyes and tugged her towards the stairs and then out of the building towards their home. "I don't doubt it. But then again, you'd have your own ways of getting your hands on dangerous weapons, wouldn't you?"

Yuffie shrugged.

"You'll find something nice to wear to this party, won't you?"

Yuffie nodded. "It'll be something good. Don't worry about it. Lucrecia will be jealous," she said nonchalantly.

"Hmm. You do know that you don't need to impress Lucrecia at this party, right?" Vincent asked her sarcastically.

"No, but I want her to see that I'm not the child that she thinks I am. Don't think about it too much," she said with a shrug. Still, she had to call Tifa so that she could help her find something that wouldn't be too scandalous but that would also be tasteful and stylish. "Is Zack getting invited to this thing?"

"Lucrecia makes the list and she invites him for me. Hojo has always accepted Zack there because of me as well. I suppose he must have received it by now," Vincent replied.

Yuffie nodded. "Good. I don't think I would survive that thing without Tifa."

"Will you be going out with her today?"

"Why?"

"So that I can leave and go have a couple of drinks with Fair."

The ninja smirked. "Are you seriously asking me for permission?" His death glare meant that he wasn't. "I was only kidding," Yuffie muttered. "But yeah, Teef and I were going to hang today. Maybe we'll even find our dresses for this thing."

Vincent nodded and pulled her into a kiss before she could make her way to the bathroom. "Stay out of trouble," he murmured, planting gentle kisses to the corner of her mouth.

"You know me," Yuffie called as she turned towards the bathroom.

"That's exactly why I say it," Vincent said before she shut the door.

......

Yuffie stared at the huge home that belonged to Shinra, which was where the anniversary of Lucrecia and Hojo was going to be held. That had to mean that Hojo and Shinra were some type of friends. Scrunching up her nose in distaste, Yuffie turned and smiled when Tifa and Zack walked up behind them. "Nice place Shinra has here," she said to her cousin.

Tifa grinned and nodded. "Flashy," she said. "Hello, Vincent."

"Tifa, you look beautiful this evening," said Vincent politely.

"Hey, you can't have them both," Zack muttered, taking Tifa's hand and kissing her knuckles.

"I've got my own beauty at my side," Vincent murmured, turning to look at Yuffie, who only scoffed and rolled her eyes at his cheesy line. "Let's go in."

The inside of Shinra's mansion was just as fancy as the outside, and Yuffie had begun to wonder if it would've been easier to wait for this party to start the mission instead of making Cloud find a way in all those weeks before. As they entered, they were greeted by Rufus Shinra himself, dressed in a fancy suit and looking far too handsome than was natural. "Valentine, it's good to see you and your lovely wife," he said politely.

"You too, Rufus. You decided to host the party this year?" Vincent asked, only vaguely interested.

"It was my father's idea. He and Hojo are old friends. Come on in and have a good time. Lucrecia is around here somewhere," Rufus said with a hint of something in his voice.

Yuffie would've punched him if Vincent hadn't pulled her towards the guests and the party. She just hoped that Shinra Jr. didn't decide to insult Tifa or Zack. "Please tell me we're leaving this thing early?"

Vincent nodded. "I believe we are. I cannot stand Rufus all that much either," he said quietly.

Yuffie's eyes widened a little when she saw Sephiroth approach Vincent and greet him, and she turned to give Tifa a pointed look. The long haired brunette let out an annoyed sigh and wrapped her arm tighter around Zack's, who only gave her a bright smile. Sephiroth greeted them all, but his attention was drawn to Tifa, who looked like a supermodel. She was in a dark blue dress that had a long belled sleeves, but showed off long, toned legs. It also hid her most obvious assets in a stylish way, and the color seemed to work with her skin tone. Her long hair was up in a high ponytail and she had opted to only wear long, dangling diamond earrings and a ring Zack had given her as a gift. She withdrew her hand from Sephiroth's grip and forced a smile, aware that they were all the center of attention now.

Zack's eyes cooled from the friendly light they had been shining with when he saw the look on Sephiroth's face. "It's nice to see you again, Seph," he said in a tone bordering on loud to draw the taller man's attention.

Green eyes moved to his and a smirk quirked his lips. "Zack, same here," he said calmly, his attention diverting to Tifa once more. "You are... a lucky man to have this woman at your side."

"I'm the lucky one," Tifa said seriously. "Excuse us," she said before tugging Zack along and trying to ignore Sephiroth as his eyes trailed after her.

Yuffie's eyes met his and she narrowed them slightly. "I know all about you. Leave her alone. I don't particularly care if you're Vincent's brother because Tifa is more than my cousin, she's my sister. Hurt her relationship with Zack and I will hurt you," she said before stepping away from Vincent and following her cousin.

Sephiroth turned to Vincent and gave him an amused look. "She likes to play in the big leagues?"

Vincent smirked. "And she holds her own. Don't harass them, Sephiroth, they don't threaten in vain."

"Tifa and I go way back. She's too much of a woman for Fair," Sephiroth said quietly.

"Don't do it. Leave her alone," Vincent warned.

"You should worry about your own woman. She seems to be attracting a lot of attention. Though with that dress, who wouldn't look?" Sephiroth taunted, turning to look at Yuffie slyly.

Vincent's eyes moved over to follow his wife and he knew that the dress she was wearing would garner that kind of attention. He should've told her to remove it when he had first laid eyes on her. Though the pale lavender color went well with her skin, it was the fact that it was strapless and that it molded to her curvy body that threw him off. Towards the hem it flared out a little, but that didn't much matter when the material clung to her hips, waist, and breasts like a second skin. Add to that the fact that her eyes were accentuated and looked more slanted because of the make-up, her hair was in slight waves, _and _that she was wearing a silver and diamond necklace he had given to her only minutes before the party, and he had a wife that no man could obviously resist. Those who weren't resisting now were grating on Vincent's nerves, and he had a feeling that he would be the one causing a scene that evening. His eyes narrowed as he saw Genesis approach her right after Reeve, and two Turks had moved over to talk to her.

"I suggest you go over there and stake your claim," Sephiroth said from his right.

"Stay out of trouble," Vincent murmured instead. "I know how it seems to follow you around, but trust me when I tell you that you do not want to mess with these women." He began to make his way towards Yuffie and left his brother behind to mull over his words.

Sephiroth's eyes moved to follow Tifa and Zack as they greeted familiar faces, and he couldn't help the way his eyes moved over Tifa's flawless face, the slope of her neck, and the graceful hands that were wrapped around Zack's arm. He had never been one to give up a challenge, and ever since he had seen Tifa at his brother's dinner, he had been mesmerized. He just couldn't step aside and let someone like Zack Fair have her so easily. Besides, what could Tifa and Vincent's tiny wife possibly do to him?

...

...

...

...

...

Okay, so I've run into a very nasty roadblock. My computer got a virus and it won't let me open up Microsoft Word or check my email. I'm trying my best to fix that, but my writing time is even more limited now. I have to write at school now, and I don't get much time then. The only reason I got this chapter out today was because I had it saved already in the document manager and I was typing it here on the site, but there's only so much time I spend on the net and I do get bored easily. So I don't know how this will affect further updates, but please don't get impatient, since I will be trying my best to this quickly. Okay, so the shooting scene was similar to one I used in a previous fic of mine, still, this one had a much different end to it and I was fairly happy with it. Also, next chapter we'll get into the party and there will be a little more of Seph in there. Lucrecia gets a wake-up call and Yuffie finds out a few disturbing things about the guests at that party. Thank you so much for the encouragement and your support for the last chapter. I'm so happy and I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Until next time!

Joey


	15. Secrets

_Warnings: Use of profanity, a lot of drama, and ZackTifa fluff._

.......................................

**Secrets**

.......................................

She had never before been envious of anyone she knew. She had always been pretty, always the center of attention, but never conceited or arrogant. Why was it then, that all she could think about was how much she hated Vincent's new wife? How much she wanted to be in that _child's_ place at the moment? It had been so long since the last time Vincent had looked at _her_ that way, that Lucrecia was starting to realize that maybe what the Kisaragi girl and Vincent had wasn't fake or a game.

Watching them now as Vincent pulled her away from a group of men talking to her, Lucrecia saw them exchange a few words, and then she saw Vincent's lips curl into the smallest of smiles when Yuffie stood on the tips of her high heels and pressed a kiss to his jaw. No. She couldn't possibly be envious or jealous of someone like Yuffie.

"They look happy, don't they?" asked an annoyingly high pitched voice from her side.

Lucrecia turned and looked at her _husband_. "It's your fault I lost him."

"Yes. It is. But then again, you didn't want my dear foster son to know your secret did you? You asked the wrong person for help, dear Lucrecia, and that was your own fault. What would Vincent think of you now, if he were to find out that tightly held secret of yours?" asked Hojo evilly.

"Don't you dare tell him, Hojo. I know a few things about you too. If you talk, I talk, and we will both lose," Lucrecia replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have guests to greet," she spat before walking away from him.

Hojo just smiled to himself and kept his eyes trained on Lucrecia and how she kept getting closer and closer to Vincent and his wife. Maybe it would be quite beneficial for Vincent to find out about Lucrecia's secret.

………

"Stop being melodramatic, we were just talking," Yuffie said as Vincent pulled her towards the balcony that led to the massive backyard of Shinra's home.

Vincent narrowed his eyes slightly and shook his head. "You don't see it, do you?"

"What?" she asked, frowning.

"The fact that other men find you very attractive."

"...This makes you jealous...?" Yuffie asked, pausing for dramatic effect.

Vincent shrugged. "Would it make you jealous if I was surrounded by women, even if we were only talking?"

"This is the never ending conversation about jealousy, isn't it?" Yuffie asked in annoyance, walking over to lean against the stone banister.

"Maybe... it is what we are mostly insecure about," said Vincent calmly.

Yuffie smiled and took one of his long-fingered hands in hers marveling at how much bigger they were than her own. She was about to give him some sort of cheeky retort when they were interrupted by Lucrecia. "Can't you see that we're having a moment here? Geez," she snapped.

Lucrecia merely gave her a look and smiled saccharinely. "I didn't mean to interrupt," she said softly. "I just wanted to thank you for coming."

"Yeah, you must be so excited about celebrating your anniversary since you're so very happily married," Yuffie said snidely.

Vincent settled a hand on the small of her back and Yuffie crossed her arms over her chest like a petulant child, but she stepped back against him until they were close together and his hand slid around her waist. "Best of wishes to you, Lucrecia," he said quietly.

Yuffie smirked and nodded, watching as the other woman's eyes darkened in anger. "Don't worry about us, Lucy, we plan on having _a lot _of fun tonight," she said with a grin. "Don't let us hold you back, you have a lot of guests to greet."

Lucrecia turned and walked away without another word and Yuffie turned in Vincent's arms so that she could look him in the eyes. "I think she's going to find a small room to cry in," she said nonchalantly.

Vincent shook his head and ran a thumb across her cheekbone. "Not my problem anymore," he said.

Yuffie found herself smiling and leaned forward to kiss him, but they were interrupted by a photographer for some type of magazine who wanted to feature them in their next issue. After posing, Yuffie left Vincent to his own devices and walked over to find Tifa, who hadn't stepped away from Zack the whole time they had been there. Yuffie's curious eyes spotted Sephiroth lurking near by. "Mind if I borrow my cousin?" she asked.

Zack shook his head. "Of course not. Just don't leave me alone for too long or I might just get picked up by a pretty girl," he said to Tifa with a grin.

"They'll stay away from you, if they know what's good for them," Tifa threatened before she was nearly dragged away. "What's going on?"

Yuffie's eyes slid towards Sephiroth covertly. "He looks a little psycho over there, watching your every move. Maybe you should kick his ass and set him straight."

Tifa scowled. "I want nothing to do with him and he can't see that. I can't believe I fell for that cheesy line he gave me at the restaurant all those weeks ago. Of course he can't be happy for me. He just has to come over and continue to make my life hell."

"Maybe it's the whole virginity thing. I've heard that guys who take a girl's virginity feel like they own them or have some type of power over them because they were the first guy in her life. Depends on the guy," Yuffie said, accepting a glass of champagne when a waiter offered it.

Tifa took one as well and shook her head. "Why would a guy feel that way if he didn't make the first time particularly pleasant?" she asked flatly. Yuffie shrugged. "Besides, can't he see that I truly like Zack?"

"I can see that, but that doesn't mean that I can accept it," said a deep voice from behind them.

Tifa and Yuffie whirled around, surprised that he had caught them so unaware that they hadn't notice him close the distance. "I am not going to do this whole stupid game thing with you. I'm not interested and no matter what you do, I won't ever give you a chance to be with me," she said to Sephiroth.

"Why not?"

"I'm happy with Zack. He's..." Tifa's eyes slid to her boyfriend and she watched him laugh with a group of friends where he was the center of attention without even knowing it.

Sephiroth refrained from rolling his eyes as she want all sparkle eyed. "Are you in love with him?"

Tifa sighed and nodded. "I think I am," she said quietly, her eyes meeting with Yuffie so that they could share a smile.

"Walk away, Sephiroth. I don't like it when people try to force me to do something I don't want to. I don't want to be with you, but if you cause Zack and me problems, you'll truly find out what type of woman I turned out to be," Tifa said quietly.

Without caring for the consequences, Sephiroth swooped in and pulled Tifa into a forceful kiss. She flailed for only a second, but then shoved against him, trying to peel her face away from his. Yuffie's eyes were wide and she scowled when the photographer going around took advantage of the spectacle. Before either she or Tifa could hurt Sephiroth in any way, Zack was there, his eyes burning with fury and his hands tightening into fists after shoving Sephiroth off of Tifa.

"What the hell was that, man?" Zack spat. "I thought you were my friend!"

Tifa took a few lungfuls of air and gripped Zack's arm when he lunged forward, intent on physically hurting the other man. "Is this what you wanted? For me to realize that you're still the same ass from school? I would _never_ leave a man like Zack for _you_. Get that into your head," she spat.

"Why settle for someone like Fair when you can have me?" Sephiroth asked deeply, hoping that Tifa allowed Zack to go so that they could settle things like men.

Tifa just scoffed and shook her head. "You think too highly of yourself. I'm not one of those fawning brainless fools you're used to, _General. _Touch me without my consent again and I will hurt you, regardless of who is watching," she said, eying his father, the media, and the guests. Ignoring the circle of people that had gathered around them she pulled Zack with her towards the outside of the huge home.

Yuffie stared at Sephiroth as Vincent came up behind her and took one of her hands in his. "What happened?" he asked.

The ninja narrowed her eyes at Sephiroth. "Your brother is just as big of an asshole as you were a couple of months ago," she said coolly.

"What is going on?" Vincent asked Sephiroth, already knowing that it wouldn't be something good. Judging by Yuffie's glare, Sephiroth had done something to Tifa and had completely ignored his warning. "Fool," he muttered.

Sephiroth's eyes went cold but before he could say anything, Yuffie beat him to it. "Maybe you should've listened to me when I told you to leave Tifa alone. Her past... _experiences_ with you were unpleasant. That's why she'll never go for you. Things you do in the past always come back to bite you in the ass," she said with a slight hint in her tone.

"I've never been one to give up so easily," Sephiroth said coldly.

Yuffie shrugged. "Tifa isn't interested. Why not give up before something bad happens?"

"Are you threatening me?" Sephiroth asked, raising one eyebrow and looking from Yuffie to Vincent.

"_Threatening_ is such an ugly word. Let's say I'm... _warning_ you," Yuffie said pleasantly. She smiled at both men and walked away once more.

Vincent gave Sephiroth a look. "What will you do?"

"I suppose I will return to Wutai and continue my business there."

"Giving up?"

"I'll let things cool down and return a few months from now. I bet she won't last with Fair and no one can fault me for pursuing her then," said Sephiroth, taking a glass of some dark alcohol when a waiter offered.

"Don't underestimate Zack. She left behind her first true love for him," Vincent commented.

Sephiroth appeared curious about that information for a moment but then shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I can assure you that she and Zack won't get very far."

Vincent just sighed in irritation and hoped that his brother found another woman to pester once he returned to Wutai. He truly did hope that Yuffie and Tifa didn't decide to do something to his brother.

…

"Are we going to make him regret this?" Yuffie murmured, making sure that no one was within earshot.

Tifa thought about it for a moment and nodded. "He won't leave me alone until we do something drastic."

"What's on your mind?" Yuffie asked with a devious grin.

Tifa tapped a finger to her chin and sighed. "I don't know, but it has to be something that'll hurt him on some level."

"He should have something valuable laying around the place he uses when he's around here. Vincent says that it's a place in the middle of the city. High class and expensive. Wanna try it?" Yuffie asked.

Tifa nodded. "You do know that Vincent will obviously assume that we were the ones responsible, right?"

"Valentine doesn't scare me anymore, Tifa. Besides, a smile and a little bit of sex will smooth things over."

Tifa just laughed and nodded. "I have to go smooth things over with Zack, I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

Yuffie nodded. "Yeah. Don't forget we need to get together to practice our _other _mission once more," she said evasively, in case Shinra had bugs around his own home. Making her way out towards the gardens and towards a huge section of bushes that had been cut to form a maze, Yuffie contemplated it for a moment. Hearing voices, she ducked around a wall and listened.

"I've seen the way you look at my foster son, Lucrecia. Even with other people watching, you cannot hide it and I do not like it. We may have married under strained circumstances, but I expect you to honor our agreement," said Hojo's high pitched voice. "Do you want for him to find out that it was your fault you lost his child?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Lucrecia said in a low tone. "Stop repeating it when there are so many people around."

"You are afraid that Vincent will find out the truth and hate you even more than what he did after you married me? Please, foolish woman, you've seen the way he looks at the Kisaragi girl. You don't hold a place in his heart anymore," said Hojo evilly.

"You can't know that," Lucrecia snapped.

"You can see it in his face, in his eyes. Do not tempt fate, Lucrecia. If Vincent finds out your secret now, it will truly mean the end of your dreams to one day be with him once more."

Yuffie stood still, careful to not make any noise. Lucrecia had been pregnant? How had she lost it and why was Hojo laying the blame on her? Oh, this was too much, she thought inwardly, walking backwards and deeper into the maze. Suddenly, a hand covered her mouth, muffling her scream and she was forcefully turned around, her eyes meeting crimson instantly. She grit her teeth and used what force she could to ram her shoulder into his chest.

Vincent exhaled and grunted. "What are you doing?" he growled.

The ninja glared at him. "Just taking some air, idiot."

"Did I frighten you?" he asked softly, leaning in to kiss her jaw.

"Hmmm," she hummed, trying to ignore the tingling of her skin unsuccessfully. His lips met hers hotly, and Yuffie yielded to him easily, allowing Vincent to nearly devour her whole. "Maybe we should go home," she whispered when his lips finally left hers, only to trail over her neck.

"Maybe," he muttered, catching the small moan from her lips when he kissed her again.

Unfortunately for Lucrecia, she had been a witness to the entire exchange. Despite the obvious desire Vincent felt for the girl, she knew that he couldn't possibly love her. She refused to believe it. But very deep, deep, down inside, her heart knew that she had lost and that there was no getting Vincent back now.

…

Tifa found him standing at the one of the far entrances to the large maze. He was staring up at the sky, and with a drink in his hand. "Why are you all broody and alone?" she asked, walking over to stand at his side.

Zack sighed and turned to look at her, his shoulder leaning against the tall wall of shrubbery. He stared at her for a long moment, taking in her auburn eyes, her long dark hair, and her smooth, nearly pale skin. "I just needed some air," he said after a moment.

"From me?" she asked quietly, not meeting his eyes.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I love spending time with you. It's just that I really do hate parties like these. Mostly because you always run into unpleasant people who pretend to be your friends."

"Look," Tifa started. "About Sephiroth—"

"You don't have to say anything about him. He was always the best in SOLDIER and all of the guys there wanted to be like him. Including me. He was the center of attention, the hero, and all the girls wanted him too, and he never even asked for any of that stuff. Now, he sees you years later, and it's the first time I've ever seen him show interest in someone else besides himself."

"And this worries you... why?"

"Because he's Sephiroth."

"That doesn't mean that I'll want him too," Tifa said seriously. "Did you not hear what I said to him? I meant every single word. I would never prefer a guy like him over you. You're so much better than he is and I shouldn't have to tell you that in order for you to realize it."

Zack nodded and pulled her into his arms. "This is precisely why I love you."

Tifa froze and moved to look up at him. "What?" she asked softly.

He was staring right back at her with wide eyes, not believing that he had actually blurted it out. "You think it's too soon?"

She broke into a smile and shook her head. "No, because right in that moment when Sephiroth was asking stupid questions, I realized that I loved you too. Now that I know that you return the feeling, it's okay," she said shyly.

Zack smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. "I do love you," he said with a long sigh, wrapping her tightly in his arms.

Tifa felt warm all over at his words and nodded as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Maybe we should go home now," she said quietly.

He leaned in to kiss her, using teeth and tongue to make her sigh in pleasure. "Yeah, home sounds good," he said, taking her hand and leading her back to where the party was being held. "So..." he started after a moment. "You think I'm hotter than _General Sephiroth_?" he asked.

Tifa grinned. "Of course you are. Besides, no one has an ass like this one," she said, giving his butt a squeeze.

"Hey, not in public," he said with a smirk. Their exit, however, was halted when Sephiroth stepped into their path. Zack's smile instantly died, and he let go of Tifa and stepped over towards the other man. "Touch Tifa in that way ever again and I'll forget that I ever respected you," he said quietly, nearly nose to nose with the other man.

"Make sure you keep her happy, Fair. Otherwise I will be right there to take advantage of the situation if you don't," Sephiroth said in challenge.

Tifa just sighed in annoyance and was thankful that not many people were paying them any mind. She just stepped towards Zack and took his hand in hers before pulling him towards the door. She waved at Yuffie as she caught her and Vincent standing near the door.

Yuffie looked at Vincent and shrugged when he gave her a questioning look. "That whole episode with your brother was unpleasant," she said.

"Sephiroth has never gone by anyone else's rules. Not even Hojo's," said Vincent.

"Well, that can wind up hurting him in some way," Yuffie replied.

Vincent wondered at the cryptic note in her voice. He did find it annoying that Yuffie refused to listen to him about anything, and he had a feeling that she had been laying low with her robberies but that she hadn't entirely stopped any of her little projects. He just knew in his gut that stealing wasn't something Yuffie could easily give up. "Are you planning anything?" he asked her suspiciously.

Yuffie smirked and the twinkle in her eyes was enough to give her away. "Don't worry about it. You just concentrate on making us look good in front of the press. Besides, the less you know, the better for you," she said smiling.

Vincent's eyes narrowed slightly, and it didn't help him any to see Genesis wink at Yuffie from where he was standing, talking to some people. "Maybe we _should_ leave," he muttered.

"But why? I thought we were having fun," Yuffie said mockingly.

"We should say goodbye," said Vincent dryly.

"We should, huh?" Yuffie asked, still with her derisive tone. "If you say so," she said, slipping an arm around his and walking with him towards Lucrecia and Hojo.

"Leaving already, dear son?" asked Hojo.

Vincent only twitched slightly at the title and nodded once. "Unfortunately, Yuffie isn't feeling so well at the moment."

Yuffie nearly giggled, but she kept her expression serious and even pouted a little. "I think it had something to do with the champagne. It gave me a stomach ache," she said, eyes on Lucrecia.

"Well, we hope you are feeling all right. Could it be that you may already be expecting a child of Vincent's?" asked Hojo, noticing how Lucrecia paled and slipped a hand up to rub at her neck nervously.

Yuffie scoffed and shook her head, noting how Vincent had offered no reaction to those words. It made her wonder why he wasn't surprised that she wasn't pregnant yet after months of unprotected sex. "Not yet," she said with certainty. "But when it does happen, you and Lucrecia will be the first to know."

Vincent just nodded and said his goodbyes before walking with her towards the door. "Maybe you should just carry me out, since you blamed us leaving on me," she said with a snort.

He shrugged. "At least you caught on quickly."

"You've forgotten that you're talking to the master of lies here," Yuffie said brightly.

"How could I possibly forget?" Vincent deadpanned, opening the door of his car for Yuffie.

"Just shut up and let's get out of here," Yuffie said. Despite the fact that the party had been for _Lucrecia,_ Yuffie's night hadn't turned out as miserable as she'd thought it would be. Now, what to do with the new information she had on the other woman.

...............

"Not as showy as I had thought," Tifa murmured as she and Yuffie slipped into Sephiroth's apartment after picking the locks and overriding the home security. Despite the whole state-of-the-art security and fancy district the place was located in, she and Yuffie had managed to get in quite easily.

"Still, the fact that it's in a good neighborhood still says something about the General," Yuffie commented, perusing the works of art on the walls and the few other works around the living room. Her eyes lit up from behind her black mask and she smiled. "I think we just hit the jackpot," she said.

Tifa stepped out of the office that had been just near the entrance and walked over towards where Yuffie was currently standing, staring up at the rooms center of attention. "It's Masamune," she whispered, staring up at the long blade in shock.

"Why would he keep it here?" Yuffie asked, inspecting the mounted blade on the wall to see if it had any connecting wires for extra security.

"Maybe he takes it with him wherever he goes," Tifa offered.

"Like a friggin' security blanket? Geez, it's a weapon. A very pointy, very sharp looking weapon. Wonder how many people he's killed with it," she muttered mostly to herself.

Tifa shuddered. "I don't think I want to know that. We should just melt it down to nothing," she said seriously.

"What would be the fun in that? We'll just hold it for ransom and make him donate or raise money for one of our chosen charities. That way, we'll get him to do something good for once."

Tifa nodded, liking the idea. "I'll keep looking around, you'll be okay with the blade?"

"Scan it for me and I'll do the rest," said Yuffie. Tifa did as her cousin asked and then proceeded to inspect Sephiroth's bedroom. It was mostly out of curiosity, but a bedroom was a person's most private room. It was furnished stylishly, but not too much to look cluttered. The bed was decorated in dark blue silks, and his bedroom furniture was black. Moving towards his drawers, Tifa debated on whether or not to go a little stalker-like and paw through his underwear, but that would be undoubtedly creepy. She refrained.

Walking towards his nightstand, her eyes caught sight of a picture, sitting on the carpeted floor, as if it had fallen. Picking it up and turning it over, Tifa nearly gasped when she realized who was on the image. It was a picture of her, at fifteen, and she was sitting right next to a younger version of Sephiroth, but with shorter hair, and a more cocky look on his face. She was smiling, he was smirking, but they did look good together. She had forgotten all about the image and couldn't really recall the day it had been taken.

"It feels like a lifetime ago, Sephiroth. I'm not interested in the past anymore," she muttered, setting the picture down where she had found out. Tifa walked back outside just in time to see Yuffie swing Masamune in her hands.

"This thing is almost twice my size!" she announced.

Tifa laughed. "We should go, before he comes back."

Yuffie nodded and slipped a velvet cloth all around the sharp blade, praying that it wouldn't cut through the material and right into their hands. "Say goodbye to your home," she said with a smile. "Your daddy is going to have to pay a nice amount of gil before he ever sees you again."

"And if he doesn't, I'm afraid we'll have to get rid of you," Tifa said, patting the flat of the blade.

"I kinda hope he doesn't pay up," she said as she and Tifa ran for the stairs and up towards the roof, gently holding Masamune from the ends.

"He'll pay," Tifa said. "This thing strikes me as something valuable to him. If not, it wouldn't have been the center of attention of the room. He'll want it back and he'll move heaven and earth to find out who stole it from him. Sephiroth is ten times worse than Vincent."

Yuffie sighed. "We do seem to attract trouble, no matter what we do, don't we?"

"Yeah. It's probably a gene or something," Tifa replied before she and Yuffie made it to the helicopter and Tifa started the engines. "Hopefully it'll take Cloud a while to see that we took out his girl for a joyride," said Tifa with a smile.

"He'll deal," Yuffie said, hooking herself up and smirking. "This'll teach bad boy Seph to mess with us."

Tifa nodded and swerved the chopper back towards their hideout, a giddy feeling in her heart. Sephiroth should've stayed away from her from the very start. Now he was in for a very nasty surprise.

…......

Later that day, Yuffie scowled to herself as she sat out by the pool of the place that had become her home. She'd had fun stealing with Tifa; that was a given. Still, her thoughts weren't on her most recent robbery with her cousin. It was so far from that. She had had little sleep the night before, mulling the party over in her head. She had known it would've been a bad idea to go to the thing.

Stupid Lucrecia, and her stupid secret. Yuffie didn't know if it would be wise to tell Vincent at this point. The miscarriage or whatever it had been had obviously happened many years before, and Hojo had used it to his advantage. Assuming that he had used that to make the other woman marry him, that meant that Hojo and Vincent were more similar than Vincent wanted to admit. It made Yuffie sick to even think it, but even though Vincent said he had been a bad father, Hojo had obviously passed on a few bad traits to him.

Standing, she made her way into the house and wondered what Vincent was up to. He had decided to stay home and work in his office, and she had been forced to remain in the house as well, though while Vincent had thought she was training, she had been out with Tifa. She had even asked Elmyra if he had left his office, but apparently he hadn't. So now she could claim she had been hanging out somewhere outside. She checked for him in his office but only found his desk filled with neat stacks of papers.

Wondering if he had gone out, Yuffie made her way towards their bedroom quietly, her mind clear and heart light. As she entered the room, she heard some clattering in the bathroom and slowly walked over towards the ajar door. What she saw made her blood run cold. Vincent was looking at her birth control pills. She kept quiet and her eyes widened when he took a pack out of his pants pocket and replaced the ones she kept with her other feminine product.

"Care to share what it is that you're doing?" Yuffie asked, satisfied when he jumped slightly and turned to look at her in shock. "And don't lie, Vincent. I clearly saw that you were just doing. I just need to hear it from you," she said, voice laced with disgust.

Vincent let out a long sigh and nodded. "I was—"

"Replacing my birth control pills? With what? Fakes, or poison."

"You think I'm trying to kill you?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, you're the one replacing my pills. What other reason would there be?" Yuffie asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Unless..." The thought just slipped into her head, uninvited. "Shit. You were trying to get me pregnant behind my back?" It was too unbelievable, even after saying it. _Son of a bitch. _"Don't just stand there like a fucking idiot. Why?!"

"Why do you think?" he asked her coolly. "I want you with me permanently." Though that was true, he had been stupid enough to forget to put her original pills back. It was too late for that now.

"And you think a kid is going to make that happen?" Yuffie asked coldly. "Go fuck yourself."

"That's what I have you for isn't it?" The words had slipped out of his mouth before he was able to stop them. "Listen, I didn't mean—"

Her fist connected with his face before he could finish his apology. "I can't believe I fell for that stupid good-guy approach. Being a good man just doesn't work with you," she said darkly. "Well, lucky for me, I've been taking some different pills my doctor gave me and which I have kept in a different part of the bathroom, so your sick attempt to tie me down was for nothing."

He tried to take her arm, but she jumped back faster than he could move. "Yuffie, listen. I will admit that it was my intent before to get you pregnant with my child, but what I said to you about us truly being together was no lie. You have become an important part of my life," Vincent said seriously, ignoring his throbbing cheek.

"Yeah, do you usually intentionally hurt and lie to the people you care about? Wow, Vincent, you're a real character, you know? I am so out of here," Yuffie said, turning to walk away.

"Wait, Yuffie. Don't go," he said seriously.

"Why? So that you can keep trying to get me pregnant? What's next? Are you going to kidnap me and take me to some clinic where they'll put the kid directly into me? Shit, at this point I'll believe you capable of doing anything low and stupid," Yuffie said, keeping her hurt and emotions as suppressed as best she could. She would not cry in front of him.

"I'm sorry," he blurted. It was the second time he uttered those words with her, and though he hadn't said them to anyone else in a while, he knew he needed to say them to Yuffie. "I didn't want to keep on with this plan and that was why I was putting the original pills back."

"How long has it been? When did you put the fakes there?" Yuffie asked quietly, her back turned to him.

"A couple of months," came the equally quiet reply.

"If my doctor hadn't changed my pills, I would've been pregnant with your kid by now," Yuffie said, feeling numb all over. She let out a bitter laugh and turned to look at him. "We're over, Vincent. I'll have my lawyer contact yours for the divorce papers. Send me to prison if you want, but I won't stay with you another day."

"Yuffie..." Vincent started, noticing the hurt in her eyes despite her furious and cold stance. He knew he had hurt her beyond anything with his stupid plan, and it made something in his chest clench painfully. He didn't want her to go, but he was afraid that he had damaged her trust in him permanently.

Yuffie shook her head. "What I wouldn't give to take back ever having met you. I'll come back for my things when you're not here," she said before she walked out the door.

Vincent didn't go after her. He simply sat on the edge of what had been their bed and put his head in his hands, wondering if there was anything he could do to make things right. For the very first time in his life, he was at a loss of what to do and the feeling didn't sit well with him. Staring down at the wedding band on his left hand made him see that he couldn't give up.

All he had to do was make Yuffie listen.

...

...

...

...

...

I wasn't too happy with this chapter, mainly because I know I went OOC with Sephiroth here, and because I feel the whole VincentYuffie episode there at the end was kind of abrupt. Still, we'll see more of Seph in future chapters and hopefully I can work his character better. I hope it wasn't too unbelievable and we'll have to wait and see if Vince can fix what he broke because we all know how stubborn Yuffie can be.

Now, good news. The virus is gone, with a brand new anti-virus program running on my computer, so I should be back to normal with my writing and updates. I'm sorry if I didn't reply to your reviews, but as always, I am so very thankful. Also, thanks to those of you who sent your best wishes for my computer too. Hopefully I'll have an update next Friday, so everyone have a great weekend!

Joey


	16. Miserable

.............................

**Miserable**

.............................

Tifa sighed to herself as she watched Yuffie clutch a bottle of Wutai's best liquor in one hand, while the other shakily moved a shot glass towards her lips. She had already downed half of the bottle on her own, and her cousin didn't look like she was done drinking. The night was still young, and she'd had to cancel a romantic dinner date with Zack to give Yuffie a shoulder to cry on. Except, the ninja didn't appear to want a shoulder to cry on; she wanted a drinking buddy.

"I bet you Zack knew," Yuffie muttered, laying her head down over her crossed arms. "He's like Vincent-fucking-Valentine's confidant. Maybe it was his idea for Vincent to get me knocked up." Tifa opened her mouth to protest, but Yuffie beat her to it. "Naw, Vincent doesn't need anyone to give him any stupid ideas. The bastard has a whole repa-repi-repertoire," she said, getting stuck on the word.

Tifa's eyes narrowed and she couldn't bring herself to defend her boyfriend. After all, she and Yuffie helped each other with everything. Why would men be any different? "Don't worry. I'll get it out of him and then kick his ass for helping."

"Yeah, you do that," Yuffie said before downing another shot. "After this damn hangover, we'll send dear Sephy his ransom note. Think he noticed it's gone yet?"

"We shouldn't talk about that now," Tifa said. "Just drink and be miserable."

Yuffie sighed and sat up, a stubborn tear trailing down the corner of her left eye. "That shouldn't be too hard. Maybe I should call Vincent to tell him that I'm having sex with Genesis."

"Do you seriously want Vincent breaking down Genesis' door, searching for you? What if he kills him?" Tifa asked, swallowing down a shot of golden alcohol.

Yuffie scowled. "Damn it, Tifa, you're still sober enough to sound smart. Start drinking with me so that you can egg me on!"

Tifa managed a small laugh and nodded. Then her smile died and she noticed Yuffie's hair slide forward to hide her expression. "This really hurt you, didn't it?" Yuffie just nodded but offered no comment. "Did you fall in love with him?"

A bitter laugh left the ninja, but it nearly turned into a sob at the end. "I don't know. I could've, but I've never been in love before so I don't know. He's been such an asshole to me for so long, I think I hated him at the same time too. Why did he do it, Teef? Why did he betray me like this?" she asked, a few more tears traveling down her face.

Tifa wrapped her arms around Yuffie's shaking shoulders and hugged her. "Maybe you should believe him when he says that he was trying to right what was wrong."

"What if I had truly gotten pregnant? Would you have told me to forgive him then?" Yuffie asked, looking at Tifa with red, puffy eyes.

The taller woman shrugged. "It didn't happen, so we shouldn't worry about that. You're seriously going to get a divorce?"

"He gave me the perfect opening, Tifa. If he tries something stupid, I'll sue him for endangering my life or some other bullshit reason. He should've learned not to push me because I shove back," said Yuffie, taking a swig right out of the bottle. "Damn it, Tifa! Drink with me! Besides, Cloud is coming to pick us up in two hours."

Tifa just sighed and ordered a different bottle of liquor from the bartender. "All right, Yuffie, but I better not hear any complaining about your hangover tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Yuffie, knuckling away a few more tears.

………………

"Don't say it."

"What? _'I told you so'? _Fine. I won't say it."

Vincent sighed to himself as he sat behind his massive desk, the stocks channel on as usual, but no work on his desk had been touched since he had stepped into his office. "She was with Tifa last night, you say?"

"Yeah. Thanks, by the way. Tifa canceled our date because Yuffie needed her, and at this point, I've come to learn that they come as a set. We'll just never be more important for them," Zack said, sipping on freshly squeezed orange juice. "What are you gonna do?"

"At this point, it has to be drastic, I know that much. If I go see her, she will not allow me in and has more than likely notified security in Godo's building and in his home to not let him in. I'll have to catch her when she leaves the premises," Vincent said, tapping his fingers against his knee.

"That'll probably work. But, _what _will you do?" Zack stressed.

"I have yet to think of that," Vincent replied coolly. "But I will find something that will make her listen. Now leave me. Have Aerith cancel my meetings for today and tell anyone who calls that I'm not here."

Zack raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "A bit much, don't you think?"

"Unless you're going to help me think…" He made a sweeping movement with his hand towards the door. "I don't want any distractions."

Zack nodded. "If I think of something I'll let you know," he said before he walked out.

Vincent sighed heavily to himself and leaned back against his chair, trying to figure out the best approach. He had never been one to give up easily, despite the odds, but this was an all new type of battle. This one required tact.

Just as a thought seemed to come to life in his mind, the door to his office banged open and before he could berate Zack for not being more civilized, Vincent realized that it was not his friend. Sephiroth's anger seemed to precede him as he entered the office, and the thunderous expression on his face was very telling.

"Brother. Beautiful day we're having, isn't it?" Vincent asked with a smirk.

"Do not start with me," Sephiroth hissed. "Where's your woman?"

Red eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"My sword went missing yesterday and I immediately thought of her. I spent the entire day searching the security feeds from the buildings around my place and I didn't find anything. A pro did this and I remembered her words at the party," Sephiroth snapped.

"She is not a pro," Vincent said automatically. It was one thing for him to know, but something entirely different for Sephiroth to find out and try to harm Yuffie for it. Though he may have been many things, Vincent would never allow anyone to hurt Yuffie. _'Yes, except for myself,' _he thought with a sinking feeling. "Yuffie does not steal," he added as an afterthought, the lie coming out easily.

Sephiroth planted his hands on Vincent's desk and glared at him. "Don't lie to me, Vincent. Our bond as brothers should come before anything you may feel for this spoiled little rich girl," he said in a deathly soft voice.

Vincent met his eyes without hesitation and shook his head. "Yuffie has nothing to do with this," he said seriously. "Do not even attempt to harm her or I will make you regret it."

They stared each other down for a moment and then Sephiroth sat down across from him and sighed. "I received a ransom note, as ridiculous as it may sound. Whoever took my sword wants me to pay a ridiculous amount of money to a charity."

Vincent had no doubt that it had been Yuffie and Tifa's way of punishing Sephiroth for causing Tifa trouble. It was his fault though, since Vincent had warned him to leave them alone. "What will happen if you don't pay?" he asked in curiosity.

Sephiroth allowed a dark look to cross his features before answering. "The note said that if I did not comply, they would melt Masamune into a key chain and then mail it back to me."

Vincent tried as best he could, but he couldn't contain the chuckles at what his brother was telling him. Sephiroth's glare would've been enough to literally freeze a lesser person, but Vincent merely brushed him off, trailing off into soft chuckles at the thought of Sephiroth crying over his precious Masamune. The man was overly attached to that sword. "Then... may I suggest that you pay the money?"

Sephiroth just grit his teeth and nodded. "You were right. Your woman and Tifa couldn't be smart enough to pull something like this off," he said, getting the reaction he had been waiting for. Vincent stopped laughing and gave him an unfriendly look.

"If you're done throwing a tantrum, leave me. I have many things to do today," Vincent said, voice cold and toneless.

"You know, that girl you have for a secretary caught my interest," Sephiroth said, raising and eyebrow towards the door.

Vincent shook his head. "Don't play with her. She is a good person and she doesn't need you to disrupt her life."

Sephiroth smirked and stood. "I wouldn't do such a thing," he said lightly. The dark haired man just gave him a look. "I will leave you to your boring job. Now I must make a generous donation," he said before walking out the door.

Vincent watched him go only in slight annoyance and turned back to his neat desk. Turning the idea—the one he had almost lost because of his petulant brother—around in his head, he sighed to himself and wondered if it would truly work. Yuffie was hurt over his betrayal and he should've anticipated what type of reaction he would receive once she found out. Because sooner or later she _would've _found out. He'd been stupid enough to not make sure that she had been drinking the pills, and later on for not changing them back when he had resolved to stop his plan. He had let too much time transpire, and had her doctor not changed her pills, Yuffie would've probably become pregnant.

Now that he truly thought about it, it didn't seem like the best laid plan and it would've backfired on him eventually. Staring at the wall that had remained empty after Yuffie had stolen the painting from him, Vincent made a note to add something there so that the wall wouldn't look so bare. Grabbing his cell phone, he began to put his plan into motion. Hopefully it wouldn't be too long before he could corner Yuffie long enough to make her listen.

….........

Zack wondered briefly about the look on Tifa's face as he approached her in the outdoors restaurant she had picked out for them to have lunch in. She was wearing over sized sun glasses of the expensive variety, but she had offered him a wan smile when he had moved in to kiss her. The smile quickly left her face, but she didn't remove her sun glasses to look him in the eye.

"Are you okay?" Zack asked her with a frown, waving away the waiter when he began to approach them.

"Be honest with me, Zack," Tifa started, leaning back against the chair and looking at him.

"Sure. About what?" he asked, puzzled.

"Did you know about Vincent's plan to get Yuffie pregnant?" she asked.

Zack tried not to look nervous, but he ended up looking guilty. "Yes. Vincent is my friend."

"And I'm you're girlfriend, and Yuffie is my cousin. How would you like it if I came up with a plan to get pregnant behind _your _back in order to tie you to me for the rest of our lives?" Tifa asked him seriously, finally removing the dark shades.

Zack's eyes clashed with her own, nearly wine colored eyes and he sighed. "If you would've been my girlfriend before Yuffie stole from Vincent, would you have told me about it?"

"Vincent is not your brother."

"Not by blood."

Tifa didn't like the way he was turning things around on her. "Zack, stealing doesn't change a person's life the way a baby will. I don't expect you to tell me every single thing that you and Vincent talk about, but I also don't expect you to participate in things that may cause harm to someone that I love," she whispered rapidly.

He could understand that, but Vincent was his oldest friend, they had offered each other friendship in a time when they'd had no one else. Tifa interrupted his thoughts after taking a sip of the wine she had ordered before his arrival. "I know that he's like your brother and practically the only family you have, but if I find out that you helped him harm Yuffie once more... if I'm forced to choose between you and Yuffie..."

"I'll lose," Zack said quietly.

She hadn't been able to finish her words, because Zack meant so much to her now. But if he kept helping Valentine, she wouldn't hesitate to cut him out of her life, no matter how much it hurt. "I don't want this to cause a rift between us," he said seriously, his bright blue eyes holding hers steady.

"Will you promise not to help him hurt her anymore?" Tifa asked seriously, cupping his cheek and closing the distance between them.

"For you, I would do anything." Zack found that he was being completely honest with her too. Aside from that, the thought of Tifa having his baby hadn't been a bad one, but they still had a lot of things to figure out about their relationship.

"Is he planning anything now?" Tifa asked.

Zack nodded. "Just a way to get her to listen to him. I think he has truly fallen for her, Teef. And honestly? This is the first time I see him act this way. With Lucrecia, I think he was obsessed, but Yuffie is something entirely different. He feels guilt again, and regret. He wants to be a good man for her."

There was something about Zack's tone that made her believe him, but it was a matter of whether Yuffie believed Vincent. Tifa entwined her fingers with Zack's and rubbed her thumb across his much bigger knuckles. She leaned in to kiss him, and didn't mind one bit that they were in a public place. "I hope you're right about Vincent," she said after pulling away.

He nodded. "Me too," he muttered. They took a moment to search their menus for what they would order, but curiosity got the better of him. "So..." Zack said casually, a smile on his face. "What did you do with Masamune?"

….........

If there was one thing she hated more than anything, it was feeling miserable. The only other times it had happened had been when her mother had died, and then when Tifa's parents had died. Add to that the day of her fake wedding, and now the day she had found out Vincent had been giving her fake pills to get her pregnant. For the last few days since she had caught him, Yuffie had spent her time locked in her apartment, feeling sorry for herself for ever believing in the conniving, no good, son of a...

"You look terrible," Cloud's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Yuffie gave him the finger and snuggled deeper into the couch. "I don't remember asking for your opinion," she snapped.

"I was just stating a fact," Cloud said, in the mood to needle her. It just didn't sit right with him to see her wallowing in pity and looking so depressed. Despite his failed relationship with Tifa, he loved them both because they were his family.

Yuffie sighed. "Just leave me alone, Cloud. I don't want to end up chewing your head off, and with the way I'm feeling, it's only a matter of time before I do," she said seriously.

Cloud shook his head and sat next to her on the couch, patting her shoulder. "Would it help if we went out and stole something?" Though she didn't move to look at him, Cloud saw her eyebrow twitch.

"We'd need a few days to plan it, and I'm not in the mood right now," Yuffie replied.

The blond nodded and thought for a moment. "Wanna go to the Midgar Zoo? I hear you can feed the giraffes."

She expelled an abrupt laugh and finally looked at her friend and brother. "Thanks, but don't worry about me, Cloud. I just need a few more days to get over this. Valentine is done screwing with my life. I just need a few more days of being miserable and then I'll be back to myself."

He smirked faintly and nodded. "Maybe we should continue practicing on our upcoming mission?"

"We'll get back to that in a few days," Yuffie said with a shrug. "Now, tell me about this girl you're dating?"

"Things didn't work out," Cloud muttered.

"Because you're still hung up on Tifa, right?" Yuffie asked smartly.

"No," Cloud said darkly. "Because she was a control freak. She called me every friggin' hour to try to find out where I was. I was starting to get a little scared," he said with a small laugh.

Yuffie snorted. "Where do you find all those weirdos?"

Cloud just shrugged and offered her a small smile. "The world is filled with weirdos."

The ninja nodded. "Yeah. I happen to be married to one of the many."

"So... married and divorced before you hit twenty. This'll be good stuff for a best selling book," said Cloud teasingly.

Yuffie smirked. "I would rather write about all our heists, but that would be like placing a noose around my own neck," she said wryly. She shook her head. "Naw. All this crap about marriage will stay with me. No one else needs to know about it."

Cloud stood and grabbed his keys. "Do you want me to get you something to eat? I'm off to that hamburger place we eat from after we complete a job."

"Get me whatever you're getting, plus a strawberry shake."

"At this rate, you'll grow to be the size of your dad," Cloud muttered.

"I heard that!" Yuffie yelled, right before the door closed. She smirked to herself and tried her very best to keep her mind from wandering towards enemy territory, but unfortunately, her brain wasn't in the mood to obey her. Though it still hurt to think off what Vincent had tried to do to her behind her back, she couldn't deny that she missed him.

The past few nights had been restless and strange without him sleeping right beside her, more often than not with his arms wrapped warm and strong around her. She just couldn't stop thinking about him and of the fact that he hadn't even tried to call her to beg for her forgiveness. Had she truly meant so little to him? Was he celebrating his freedom with Lucrecia? Yuffie scowled to herself at the thought, but before she could go back to her self inflicted torture, the doorbell rang. Standing up and pulling the flannel robe that had at one time been Cloud's tighter around her, she walked over to answer the door.

When she opened the door, there was no one there except for a single white rose sitting on the carpeted floor before her. Picking it up, Yuffie inspected it and saw there was a white ribbon wrapped around the stem. Even from a distance it had an amazingly powerful scent. Looking suspiciously towards the emergency exit, Yuffie debated whether to go looking for Vincent, or wondering if he had taken the elevator down.

Sighing to herself, she closed the door and sat back down on the couch with the rose in her hands. What did it mean? Was it his pathetic attempt at an apology? Was it a goodbye gift? Why hadn't he shown his face to her? Well, that last one was easy. She was still angry enough to attempt to claw his eyes out if he attempted to get close to her, but that didn't mean that he couldn't _try. _

The smart, calculating part of her—the thief side of her—was telling her that it was better this way. She was better off without him and there was a possibility that no amount of apologies would be enough to make her take him back. It was just very irritating that her emotional, loving side wanted her to keep her heart open for another chance.

At the moment, Yuffie didn't know if she wanted to listen to either side. But then she realized that she had unconsciously tightened her hold on the rose's stem, and her finger had made contact with a thorn. Brushing the petals with her bloodied finger until the white petals were stained red, she came to the conclusion that it would be a cold day in hell before she forgave Vincent Valentine.

….........

The day she finally decided to leave her apartment, the sun was nowhere in sight, and it had rained from the very early morning. The sky was dark, and the drizzle was light, and it suited Yuffie's mood as she began to walk down the street, wearing a long coat with the hood off, and a pair of jeans and a turtleneck. She loved the rain because it cleaned away all the dark clouds and it made the weather fresh, but she also disliked it because she couldn't go out and about in her normal clothing.

The last few days, at a different time every day, she had received a white rose with the white ribbon tied around the stem. The roses she had kept in a clump by her window so that they could dry together, except she couldn't quite figure out why she hadn't been able to just throw them away. Maybe it was because of what the white roses meant to her, since her mother had called her "white rose of Wutai," when she had been a child. Vincent couldn't have possibly known that, but it still meant the world to Yuffie.

Moving towards her favorite café, Yuffie heard the sound of a door opening in the alley she was about to pass, but she thought nothing of it, focusing instead on the call from Tifa she was receiving. As she put the phone to her ear, a hand came around to her mouth and nose and pressed a damp, foul smelling cloth against her face. She tried to scream and fight, clawing and kicking at her attacker, but try as she might, she couldn't keep from inhaling the substance.

Her body fell limp into waiting arms and she was carried towards a black, tinted window SUV where she was placed down gently in the back seat. Revving the engine, her attacker took off at a calm pace, a smirk on his face at getting away with no one seeing him.

….....

By the time she came to, Yuffie's head was pounding and she was in a dark room. She sat up quickly and raced for the door, nearly knocking over a vase full of white roses without realizing it, and found the door unlocked and with no guard. Very stupid of them to underestimate her. She pressed her back against the wall and slowly walked towards what looked like a living room. The inside of the place she was in looked like some sort of large cabin or ranch, and it did not resemble a kidnapper's hideout.

As she began to move towards the main door, she nearly tripped over something; some sort of lump on the floor. Looking down, she was met with bright brown eyes under a mop of brown hair and a straw hat.

"Who are you?" Yuffie asked suspiciously, her eyes darting all around the room and towards the windows.

"I'm Billy. I was told to wait for you here and to then to show you out," said the boy, getting to his feet.

"Who told you to wait for me?" Yuffie asked, following the child, but still wary that he could be walking her into some sort of trap.

Billy took her hand and dragged her out the door. Yuffie's eyes widened when she took in her surroundings. They were standing in some sort of... ranch? "It's a Chocobo Ranch. Do you like chocobos? Everyone around here calls me Chocobo Billy, but you can call me Billy," said the boy rapidly, pulling her towards the stables where various 'warks' could be heard. It reminded Yuffie of the ringtone on her phone that Vincent had hated with a passion. Just to spite him, she had added the ringtone to his and Tifa's phone numbers.

"Are you going to tell me who brought me here?" Yuffie asked right before she was nearly shoved into the stables.

"He'll be right out!" Chocobo Billy called, leaving her there before running off.

Yuffie turned to the stables and stared at the various colored birds, who stared right back at her. She smiled to herself and walked slowly down the stalls, taking them all in. Towards the back of the structure, she encountered a much larger stall than the others, filled with tiny chocobo chicks of different colors as well.

Stepping inside after making sure that none of the chicks escaped by her entrance, Yuffie was immediately assaulted by tiny chirping sounds as they pressed up to her legs. Taking a seat in the straw, the little balls of feather jumped at her, all of them vying for her attention.

That was how Vincent found her when he stepped into her line of vision. Yuffie's happy smile died at the sight of him, but she couldn't attempt to kick him in a very painful place without hurting the baby chocobos that had decided to use her as some type of playground. There was even one resting on the top of her head.

Vincent stepped into the stall and looked at her quietly, catching sight of the slight glare she was sending his way. "My... apologies if I frightened you with the way I brought you here," he said quietly, taking a seat in front of her and watching as nearly half of the chicks flocked towards him.

Yuffie just scoffed and offered him no words.

"Will you listen to what I have to say?" Vincent asked, watching her intently.

"That doesn't mean that I'll forgive you," Yuffie replied in a clipped tone.

Vincent nodded and was silent for only a moment, as if gathering his thoughts. "I'm sorry," he started. "I know it does not absolve me of what I had planned to do to you. But you must know that when you gave me your trust, I decided to not go through with the plan."

"I gave you my trust a few months ago. Why did it take you so long to go back on the plan?" She nearly spat the question at him, giving the chicks an apologetic look when they nearly fell off their places perched atop her.

"It was mostly stupidity. Believe it or not, I forgot to do it once I realized just how badly this would ruin the relationship we were trying to have," said Vincent, rubbing the soft down of a black chocobo chick.

Yuffie snorted derisively. "What would you have done if you had gotten me pregnant? What excuse would have made up once I discovered something wrong with the pills? Because eventually I was going to find out," she said seriously.

"I would've protected you and the child. I would've made you the top priorities in my life," he said honestly. "I was just looking for a way to keep you by my side, since with the whole blackmailing scheme kept being a barrier between us."

"What did you expect? That I just lay down and give up without a fight? I told you before, you picked the wrong woman for your plans," said Yuffie, smiling at the various balls of feather that had fallen asleep in her lap.

Vincent sighed and nodded. "Will you ever be able to forgive me?"

Yuffie sighed and began to set the little chicks back on the straw as gently as she could. It was unavoidable that they wake up, but she just couldn't remain in such a confined space with Vincent. She walked out of the small stall and towards fresh air, ignoring the warks from the older chocobos as she passed them.

Vincent tried to follow her as quickly as he could, but the baby chicks were crowding his feet and he hesitated to take any steps. Finally, he decided to just jump over the low door and dusted himself free of various colors of tiny feathers. He found Yuffie outside, watching an old man train and break-in the chocobos. "Was that a no?" he asked her.

Yuffie let out a heavy sigh. "Do you think that this is something easily forgivable? Would you ever forgive me for cheating on you?"

"I don't think that would be the same situation," said Vincent.

"But it is," Yuffie said darkly. "You went behind my back to do this. You lied to me about what you felt—"

"I didn't," he interrupted. "It's taken us months to actually have something resembling a friendship, and it has been the calmest months of my life, despite your knack for riling up my nerves," he said with a faint smirk.

Yuffie didn't even break a smile. She just turned to look at him, the most serious Vincent had ever seen her. "I don't think I want to trust you again. Take me back home, Vincent."

Vincent sighed and shook his head. "This can be your home, if you wish. I know that you are not the type of woman who accepts any type of gifts, and I didn't do it for your forgiveness, but I purchased this place for you."

"A chocobo ranch for me?" Yuffie asked flatly.

"If you don't like it, I can keep it for myself," said Vincent with a shrug.

"So... it's in my name? As in, my property?" Vincent nodded slowly, wondering why she was asking. Yuffie gave him a dark look. "Get off my property, then."

Vincent refrained from rolling his eyes. "That's not how it works," he said quietly.

"You want me to forgive you?"

"Yes."

"Then you have to do something that shows me that you're serious about our relationship and that you're not just trying to con me into something again," Yuffie said seriously.

Vincent nodded slowly. "If it is in my power to do, I will do it."

"Good," said Yuffie, closing the distance between them so that she was staring up into his face. "I want you to give me every single tape you have of me stealing from you. No more blackmail. No more tricks."

He hadn't truly expected her to ask for it, but he was willing to part with his only leverage in order to make Yuffie believe him. "Fine. I will do as you wish," he said, reaching up a hand and cupping her cheek.

Yuffie searched his face for any sort of lies or deceit, but she didn't find any. Either he was being honest, or he was just too good at hiding his expression. Her heart wanted her to pick the former, while her mind was telling her it was the latter. Sometimes she wondered if she had a split personality. She came to just in time to see Vincent closing the distance with her, but before he could kiss her, Yuffie pressed her hands against his chest and pushed him away. Smirking at his confused look, she shook her head.

"There are still a few things I need you to do for me first," Yuffie said seriously. "Whether I forgive you or not will depend on _if _you can do them."

Vincent sighed to himself and watched her step away from him. His eyes followed her as she walked off towards Chocobo Billy as he animatedly told her about the chocobos his grandfather trained. Vincent wondered with some apprehension about what the little ninja had in store for him now.

Why hadn't anyone warned him how problematic marriage could be?

...

...

...

...

...

Ha, you're not getting off the hook that easily, Vince. This chapter was kinda slow, but it all gets better in the next one, so don't get impatient. Not a lot happened, but this one should lead into much more exciting and dramatic things, so be warned now that what you've seen so far is nothing compared to what is up ahead. The whole, "they come as a set" thing regarding Tifa and Yuffie was borrowed from last weeks _Grey's Anatomy_, when Bailey tells that to Derek, since he wants to get rid of Christina. Man, I do love that show and it was fitting in this chapter.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to read and review, you all fed my muse and made me happy to boot, so thanks. I do hope to update this upcoming week, though I can't seem to stick to Friday's like I used to, but just sit tight and I'll have the next chapter as soon as I can. I hope everyone has a great week and remember to let me know what you thought!

Joey


	17. Forgiven

_Some semi-fluff here… I hope everyone enjoys!_

.............................

**Forgiven**

.............................

"Yuffie... this is ridiculous."

"Oh, so getting back in my good graces again is ridiculous?"

"No. You actually _making _a list of things that you want me to do is ridiculous," muttered Vincent, staring down at the list he held in his hands. At least she was speaking to him again. He just hadn't counted on receiving a list of the most ridiculous and painful things to do from Yuffie.

"Fine. Take me home so that I can have my lawyer speed up the divorce process," she snapped, stomping away from him.

"No!" he called, walking after her and catching Chocobo Billy's attention. Vincent glared at Yuffie when she turned to look at him.

"Are these things below you, Vincent?" Yuffie asked him.

Vincent looked at the list and shook his head. "Of course not. Might I remind you that I was an orphan before Hojo and his first wife took me in? I know what hard work entails," he said darkly.

"Then get to it. I know Chocobo Bill needs help around here, even with the other people at hand. You should get started while it's still early," she said with a smug little grin.

Vincent sighed to himself and looked at the number one chore on her list. _1. Clean the chocobo stables._ Looking down at his clothing, he let out an even bigger sigh. He didn't have anything he was willing to part with, so he would wear what he had on. He'd just get a new pair of jeans and boots once they returned to Midgar. He nearly backed out of getting back with Yuffie when he heard her laughing at him from her perch in a nearby tree about an hour later.

"Will you forgive me once I complete this list?" he called, trying not to inhale too hard.

Yuffie shrugged. "Maybe. If you can get through it all..."

He nodded and started to work. Nearly three hours later, the work was almost complete. The chocobos had made his life hell by pecking and kicking him because most of them didn't seem to like him, but he had managed to complete his task. Droppings from a bird that size were something to be afraid of. Making his way out of the stables, smelling like bird droppings, covered in feathers, sweaty, and dirty, he found Yuffie ridding a golden chocobo with Billy, who appeared to be completely in love with her. Yuffie looked up from where she sat and grinned at his appearance.

"Maybe you should shower before getting to your next task," she said. "Billy and I can smell you from here."

Vincent did his very best to ignore her little comment and pulled out the list from his jean pocket, looking at the second chore. _2. Ride a wild Chocobo for at least a minute. _He sighed to himself and wondered if old Chocobo Bill had any safety helmets lying around. Vincent wasn't really in the mood for a concussion and he had to wonder if Yuffie was purposely trying to kill him.

"Chocobo Bill just caught a wild black Chocobo. Hold on tight," Yuffie nearly sing-songed as she hopped off of the bird.

Instead of taking the time for a shower, Vincent walked to where the old man was holding the chocobo steady and he gave the bird a look. The chocobo stared back. They had a tense moment and Vincent nearly growled when he saw Yuffie tapping her foot from his peripheral vision. His first attempt nearly put him on the bird's back, with Yuffie sniggering in the background, but the chocobo promptly shook him off and Vincent fell onto the dusty ground with a painful thump.

Yuffie couldn't contain her laughs at his second and third try, and she even had to hold her middle when she gave herself a stitch. Billy and his grandfather were trying not to laugh out of respect, but since Yuffie didn't feel any at all for him at the moment, she wasn't holding any of her loud guffaws back. When he was finally able to keep his hold on the bird, he stayed on for the entire minute and jumped off as soon as he could, nearly falling right onto his face. "Happy?" he asked Yuffie with a sneer.

She nodded. "Very. Sweet Leviathan, I don't think I've laughed like that in a while!" she gasped out.

Vincent rotated his left shoulder and held back a groan of pain when it throbbed with a dull ache. "If I end up breaking an arm, I will hold you accountable," he muttered, walking towards the house.

Yuffie watched him go with a small smile and shook her head. If he was willing to go through all the crazy things she had written on that list, she would give him the chance to be with her again. If he hadn't been serious about them being together, he wouldn't have agreed to do any of her little _chores_. After spending the next thirty minutes with Chocobo Billy, describing Wutai to him in great detail, Vincent emerged from the main home section of the ranch freshly showered and with clean clothes on.

"Yuffie, a word," Vincent called.

Yuffie smirked and wondered how he'd go about doing chore number three. "What?" she asked, giving him a bored look.

"I... I never learned how to ride a bicycle," he said.

Yuffie snorted back a laugh. "Well, Billy's grandfather just bought him a new bicycle and he needs someone to teach him. If you successfully get him to ride it, without him being hurt physically, it'll show me that you have enough patience to get through _our_ problems together."

Staring at those almond shaped eyes, he knew that he wouldn't ever say no to anything she wanted, which didn't sit well with him, since he wasn't so keen on being her doormat. When had it all changed? Why was he so willing to put himself through ridiculous tortures for her? The word love wasn't something he had felt often in his life, especially with a father figure like Hojo, but his second mother had always been kind to him. Then he had thought he had been in love with Lucrecia, but her betrayal had left a bitter after taste and he had resolved to never fall for any woman again.

"...what if I fall? What if I scrape my knees? What if he yells at me?"

"Billy, you'll do great. Riding a bike isn't so hard, but if you scrape your knees, you just have to try again. And trust me, Vincent isn't going to yell at you. Am I right Vince?" Yuffie asked him pointedly.

Vincent just let out a resigned breath and nodded. "Yes, Billy. We will both try our best with this." Number three on the list: _Teach Chocobo Billy how to ride his new bicycle._

Yuffie sat on the steps of the large home and watched as Vincent tried to explain what to do and what not to do. He didn't appear to know how to handle the boy, and that showed her just how screwed they would've been had he really gotten her pregnant. She didn't know the first thing about babies, and add to that Vincent—a man who had been a hired killer for many years of his life—it would've been a recipe for disaster.

An hour later, it was almost time for lunch, and Vincent looked like he had a very painful headache. Yuffie smiled and was about to cave and relieve him of the chore, when finally Billy rode his bicycle without falling. "Hey, grandpa, look at me!" Billy yelled as Yuffie stood and walked towards Vincent.

"I need a painkiller… or two," Vincent muttered.

Yuffie smirked. "You did good. Now, can you imagine doing this kind of thing every day for the next eighteen years? That's how it would've been had I gotten pregnant," she murmured.

Vincent nodded. "Despite the way I wanted to do things, I wouldn't hesitate to have a family with you," he replied calmly.

Yuffie looked at him seriously. "Is there love between us, Vincent?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know," he said honestly.

"How can I love a man so intent on doing things behind my back?" she asked him before walking towards Billy to congratulate him.

"How can I love someone nearly ten years younger than me?" he muttered to himself. Reaching into his pocket, he produced the wrinkled list and stared at the number four chore. Just get through that one and the very last one, and maybe then Yuffie would even think about forgiving him.

_4. Swim from this side of the lake to the next, and back in under an hour._ What? "Yuffie…"

"What?" she asked. "Don't tell me that you don't know how to swim either," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

Vincent glared at her and shook his head. "In under an hour? Have you seen the distance from here to there?"

Yuffie shrugged. "I guess it's a good thing that you're in shape, otherwise I wouldn't have asked you to do it," she said before skipping towards the chocobos to grab a golden one by the reigns.

Vincent had to wonder what temperature the water was. The lake was located on the other side of the chocobo stables, and it did appear to be farther than it looked. What if he was eaten by some type of lake animal? Hadn't he seen a movie about some old lady growing alligators in a lake? Scowling to himself, Vincent began to walk towards the water, while Yuffie followed on the chocobo.

"In case you need saving, just give me a yell and I'll come out there to help," said Yuffie with a pat to his shoulder.

Vincent stood where he was for a moment and then kneeled to touch the water. Well, at least it wasn't freezing and he wouldn't die of hypothermia halfway through, but strangely enough, the thought did not comfort him at all. He was well and truly wondering if Yuffie really wanted to kill him.

"You know, we're not getting any younger," Yuffie muttered, rubbing the feathers on her chocobo's head.

Vincent sighed and began to strip, realizing that he should've just left off his shower for later on in the evening, since now he'd have to shower once more. Standing in nothing but his boxers, he smirked when he felt Yuffie's eyes on him. Yuffie rolled her eyes when she noticed the smug look on his face and did her best to keep her eyes from his backside. Letting out a sigh, she moved off of the bird when Vincent walked a small distance into the water, and then dived in, starting with quick, long strokes.

"You think he'll make it?" Yuffie asked the chocobo.

"Wark?"

"He's going through all this trouble to show me that he's serious and to prove that he really wanted our relationship to change. Should I believe him?"

"Wark!"

Yuffie let out a small grin. "I need to stop confiding my thoughts to a bird," she muttered to herself. Turning back towards the lake, her eyes widened when she saw Vincent pass the half mark. She had thought that he would've taken longer to get there. "He's in better shape than I thought."

Taking a seat on the green grass, she kept her eyes on him for the next half-hour until he was well on his way back. When he reached their side of the lake, he slowly stood from the water, out of breath and shivering a little. Yuffie pranced over to his side as he redressed, his hair falling into his eyes and water still dripping from the tips.

"I'm impressed," Yuffie said as they walked back towards the ranch.

"I have been swimming for a long time," he said simply.

Yuffie nodded and her eyes followed the trail of water sliding over his chest, visible from his still unbuttoned shirt. Vincent stopped her, taking her arm and turning her to meet his eyes. "Are these chores going anywhere? Or is this just another way for you to torture me?"

"Have you stopped to read chore number five?" she asked him calmly.

Vincent shook his head and took out the list from his pocket once more. _5. Prepare a romantic Wutain dinner so that we can talk. _He looked up to ask her if she was serious, but she had hopped onto her chocobo and was speeding away. Sighing to himself, he made his way into the home he had bought just for Yuffie. He hadn't cooked in a long time, but he was fairly sure that his skills in the kitchen couldn't possibly get him into any more trouble.

…

"Do you want to move in with me?"

Tifa nearly choked on the piece of muffin she had been chewing on. "What?" she asked after taking a sip of coffee to wash it down.

Zack's eyes were bright. "You heard me right. Move in with me," he said once more.

Tifa's eyes swept the entirety of his office for some sort of distraction, but she didn't find any. She didn't know what to say. Moving in with him was something scary and sudden. "Do you... want an answer now?" she nearly squeaked.

He shook his head and grinned. "No. But I want you to think about it. I mean, we're both in this together, right? We both want to move forward."

"Have you thought about marriage too?" Tifa asked nervously, gnawing on her bottom lip nervously.

"Of course I have, though I think that we're a little far from that," he said seriously.

Tifa let out a breath and nodded. "Give me some time to think and I'll let you know when I'm ready, okay?"

"Okay," he said before leaning forward and kissing her. Tifa giggled when his nose bumped hers.

A knock interrupted them and Tifa moved away to see Aerith standing at the door with some papers in her hands. "Sorry to interrupt," she said lightly. "I have the reports you needed, Zack," she said with a sweet smile.

Tifa sat back in her seat and watched the way Aerith talked to Zack. She wouldn't overreact about the way they handled business together, but she wouldn't ever trust Aerith because it was obvious she felt something for Zack. Her eyes met green and she saw a spark of challenge in the other woman's eyes. "Zack... if we do move in together, wouldn't it be better if we found a bigger place?" Tifa asked him lightly. It was petty, but Aerith needed to know who was the woman in Zack's life.

Zack didn't seem to catch on to what she was doing, and he merely nodded. "If you'd like. I like the place I'm living in now, but we can find something else if it's what you wish," he said before going back to his paperwork.

"You're... going to live together?" Aerith asked, looking from Tifa to Zack.

He nodded and smiled at Tifa, who was resisting the urge to smirk. "In the near future," he murmured.

Tifa smiled and nodded, turning to look back at Aerith. "Aren't you going to congratulate us?" she asked pleasantly.

Aerith nodded quickly. "Of course! Congratulations," she said with an obviously forced smile. "I'll leave you two alone," she said before she walked out of the office, her long braid swinging behind her.

"I love you, Tifa."

She stood from her seat and walked over to wrap her arms around his neck, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I love you too," she replied with a happy smile.

"The fact that I love you doesn't make me oblivious to what you just did. If you were a man, I'd say you just marked your territory," Zack said, signing a few of the papers.

"Oh, come on!" Tifa exclaimed, not letting go of him.

Zack shook his head. "I love _you_. No one else and I didn't think it was very nice that you shoved it in Aerith's face."

"So you're defending her?" she asked quietly. Tifa began to move away, but his hands on her arms stopped her. "You say you're not oblivious to what I do. Don't you dare tell me that you're oblivious to what she feels then. Can you truly not see it?" Tifa asked.

Zack sighed and pulled Tifa forward and onto his lap. "I see it. I just choose to ignore it. She works for Vince, not for me. Otherwise I would've offered her a higher position on another floor," he muttered. "Don't be jealous of her," he murmured, rubbing a thumb across her lips before she could protest. "I'm not teasing you. We're working on our trust issues, aren't we? Well, trust me in this. I would never do anything to hurt you."

Tifa sighed and nodded, but she wouldn't take back what she had done. It was better for Aerith to know now, to give up now. Sighing, Tifa moved in to kiss Zack, sliding her hands through his thick hair. "You would seriously give up your place for me?"

"Yeah. I'd do anything to make you happy. But why don't you like my apartment?" he asked curiously, running a hand up and down her thigh.

She shrugged. "I do like it. You have nice taste. But it's too much of a bachelor pad. And you... Mr. Fair, are no longer a bachelor," said Tifa with a grin.

Zack gave her a painful look. "Do you have to rub that in _my_ face?" He let out a laugh when Tifa glared at him and punched him squarely on the shoulder. "Okay! Okay!" he yelled, catching her wrists in his hands. Tifa was a rather accomplished martial artists and her puny fists were quite painful.

"Do you really want to piss me off?" she asked playfully, pulling at his spikes until he was laughing and groaning in pain at the same time. Finally letting him go, Tifa stood from his lap and placed a kiss on his nose. "I have to go, but I'll see you tonight?"

Zack nodded and attempted to straighten his suit. "I'll have to tell Vince that next time he goes on a vacation, so do I," he muttered, walking Tifa out the door and towards the elevator.

"I hope he gets Yuffie to listen. She's been really miserable without him, but if he screws this chance up, it'll be over forever I think," Tifa murmured, wrapping her arm around Zack's waist as they passed Aerith's desk.

Zack just rolled his eyes and kissed her forehead. "While I do love the way you look when you're jealous, let's not turn this into another conflict, okay? I want you to trust me," he said the last part seriously.

Tifa nodded. "I want you to trust me too," she said with a smile. "But that doesn't mean that I don't get to scare away the competition. You're mine and it's about time all the women of the world knew it too."

Her words made him chuckle and he nodded. "Alright, sweetheart. Take care of yourself and don't cook up insane situations in your head. I love you," he said as the doors of the elevator opened.

Her heart skipped a beat in her chest just by hearing him say the words so easily and she nodded before kissing his lips and walking into the elevator. He winked at her right before the doors slid closed and Tifa smiled to herself. A few floors down, the elevator stopped and the doors opened, letting in a familiar face. Tifa blinked and stared at the long silver hair and the glittering green eyes.

"Tifa," he greeted with a small smirk.

"Sephiroth. What brings you around here while Vincent is away?" Tifa asked him dryly. She really wasn't looking forward to being in an enclosed space with a man that had not so long ago had forced her into a kiss.

"Business," he replied honestly. "I know we ended up in a tense situation the last time we met, but it was not my intention," he said lightly.

"Right," Tifa replied. "It wasn't your intention to force me into a kiss where my boyfriend and everyone else could see us."

"Does that mean that you wouldn't mind me kissing you while we're in private?" he asked, turning to look at her.

Tifa sighed in irritation. "That is not what I meant and you know it."

He chuckled softly. "Fine. But someone else has caught my interest, in case you wanted to know."

"Who?" Tifa asked curiously.

"My brother's secretary. What do you think? Am I too much for her? My brother led me to believe that she is all sugar and flowers. That made me feel like I'm all razors and sharp knives," Sephiroth said thoughtfully.

"Sugar and flowers would do you some good," Tifa said as the doors of the elevator finally opened to let them out. "Besides, you'd be doing me a favor by getting her out of Zack's way."

"Trouble in paradise?" Sephiroth asked in interest.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no. Zack asked me to move in with him and I'm seriously considering it. So kiss your dreams of being with me goodbye," she said with a smug smile.

"I shall spend the rest of my days weeping over what could've been," he said in a mocking tone.

Against herself, Tifa laughed. "You're going to stop trying to pursue me?" she asked him.

Sephiroth shrugged one broad shoulder. "I have to think about it for a few days." Tifa just sighed and shook her head, beginning to walk away from him. A hand on her elbow stopped her, and she froze when she felt Sephiroth's hair caress her arm. "It was wise of you to return Masamune. I would've turned the world upside down to find it."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tifa said automatically. She resisted the urge to jerk back when his nose skimmed over her jaw.

"Take something of mine again and I will not let it go so easily," Sephiroth murmured before letting her go.

Tifa watched him go through narrowed eyes and then let out a small sigh. Well, at least he hadn't threatened her with doing something now. She knew it was best to leave things with him the way they were from now on. She didn't need Sephiroth turning his attention back to her now that he had found someone else to bother. Shaking herself a little, she made her way towards her car. She had a lot of thinking to do.

…

Yuffie watched curiously as Vincent moved around the kitchen as if he had always belonged there. He seemed to know what he was doing, and though she wouldn't voice it ever, she was impressed. Smiling to herself she watched as he stopped for a moment to think and look at his ingredients carefully. The smells wafting towards her were making her stomach growl and she couldn't wait to see what he had cooked up.

A frown came over her features when she watched him reach for some plates on a high shelf of a cabinet, and Vincent winced in pain, holding his side. Instead of asking him what was wrong, Yuffie simply stepped away from the doorway and made her way back towards the living room, where a fire was roaring now that night had fallen. Though the temperature was perfect during the day, it usually dropped during the night. Yuffie had asked about the chocobos, but Chocobo Bill had told her that it was nothing to worry about. The stables were closed when the sun went down, and the birds were warm inside because of their thick feathers.

Wrapping a warm blanket around herself, Yuffie stared into the fire, her thoughts on the man in the kitchen. She couldn't stop wondering and having doubts about forgiving him. She hadn't really known if she was a truly forgiving person until Valentine had showed up in her life. Though she was serious about not forgiving him ever the next time he did something to betray her trust. She just hoped that it truly didn't happen. She was just so tired of him thinking he could get away with everything.

A while later, Vincent called her into the dinning room, where everything had been set up. Yuffie stared at the candles lit over the table, the simple plates that had been arranged with amazing looking Wutain cuisine, and the dimmed lights. He had done a pretty good job with the romantic setting. "Are you sure you did this yourself?" she asked with a grin.

Vincent nodded and pulled her chair out for her. "I told you that there are many things that you have yet to know about me," he said with a slight smirk.

"Right," Yuffie murmured, taking a seat. "Are you finally going to share those things with me?" she asked, looking him in the eye when he sat to her right.

He sighed and nodded after a moment. "I will share with you the things you want to hear. But… you must understand that there are things that I don't wish to share with anyone."

Yuffie _could _understand that. "Okay. Wow, this does look great," she said, taking in all the various scents. Some were of foods that she hadn't tasted since her mother had passed. Looking towards Vincent, she found him watching her expectantly, waiting for her reaction to his cooking. She smiled as the food hit her taste buds, making her close her eyes in wonder.

Vincent smiled slightly to himself and took a bite of his own food when her eyes opened once more. "Good?"

"Delicious," Yuffie said with a grin. "I can't believe that you cooked something so wonderful and didn't set the kitchen on fire."

He smirked and shook his head. "I didn't burn the kitchen, but…" he lifted his right hand and showed her a burn mark on the side of his hand, from his pinky down.

Yuffie let out a small snort. "Didn't you put any burn salve on it?"

"It would've screwed up my schedule to stop and tend to my wounds," Vincent replied, taking a sip of red wine.

Yuffie just shook her head and continued to eat, savoring each bite. She couldn't believe that he had actually accomplished what she had asked of him. Once they were both done, Yuffie stood and took his uninjured hand, pulling him towards the bedroom she had woken up in, and into the bathroom to search for some kind of balm that would help with burns. Vincent had nice hands and she didn't want them to be scarred over something she had asked him to do.

Finding what she was looking for, Yuffie turned back to see Vincent leaning against the sink, watching her quietly. She moved over to him and stood between his parted knees, closer than was actually needed for tending to his hand. Taking those long fingers in hers, she applied the balm gently, wordlessly, as he kept watching her.

Vincent's eyes swept over her cheeks, her eyebrows, the small nose, and lastly over her lips. There was just something so enticing about her. She wasn't as beautiful as many women he knew, but there was something about Yuffie that drew him in and that made her seem like her own brand of beautiful. Her energy, her youth, and her free spirit only added to what he had come to admire. Setting his hand down, she turned away to put the balm away, and Vincent moved to stand closely behind her, not enough to touch her, but enough the feel the small shiver that ran down her spine.

They stood there for a long moment, neither moving to go or to say a word until Vincent finally turned her around, noticing how she wouldn't meet his eyes. "I thought we were going to talk."

Yuffie nodded and finally raised her eyes to his. "How many copies of the tape do you have, including the original?"

"Five," he replied.

"You'll burn them in front of me?"

"Yes."

"Why did you do all the things that I demanded you do?" she asked softly.

"To prove that I'm serious about starting a life with you," Vincent said, resisting the urge to smooth his hands over her hips.

Yuffie sighed and her eyes slid to his collarbone. "If I trust you one more time, what guarantee do I have that you won't betray my trust again?"

"You have my word, and that is all I can give you. Unless there is something else you would want me to do."

"Your word. Does that truly mean something?"

"This time it does."

"If you betray me again, you'll have to give me half of your money in the divorce," Yuffie said with a small smirk.

"Okay," he said seriously.

She gave him a slightly disbelieving look. "Okay?"

"That's is what I said, yes," Vincent replied. "Money matters little to me, now that I have come to have you in my life."

She couldn't truly explain the warm fuzzy feeling his words produced. "I don't think I'm ready to give you all of me just yet."

"I can be a patient man," he said, crimson eyes amused.

"Right," Yuffie muttered as they walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. She stared out of the window and was awed by the sight before her of the lake with the moonlight reflecting off of it. She turned her back to the picture of nature and looked at Vincent, who was standing by the foot of the bed. "Thank you for dinner," she said quietly, feeling nervousness crawl up her spine. Usually being alone with Vincent in a room always resulted in her naked and moaning, but she wasn't too sure it would help their situation if it happened so soon after his betrayal. "You should get some rest. Your shoulder is acting up?"

Vincent raised an eyebrow curiously. "How did you know?"

"I saw you wince when you reached for something in the kitchen," she replied, walking towards the door.

"I think it was a result from falling off of the chocobo," Vincent replied. He walked with her to the door and motioned towards the room. "Keep this one. It has the best view," he said, stepping out into the hall.

Yuffie nodded and offered a smile. "Seriously. Thank you."

"It's the least I could've done," he replied, relaxing a little.

She closed the distance between them and pressed a feather light kiss to his lips. "I'll see you in the morning," she said.

Vincent nodded and turned to go, aware that her door didn't close until he stepped into his room. He hadn't been expecting much from her, since he understood that she wouldn't trust him so easily anymore, but truthfully, he missed sleeping with her. Not in a sexual way, but in a physical one, such as feeling her warm body next to his, or wrapped up in his in the middle of the night. He hadn't been aware of how important she had become to him until she had no longer been by his side.

Sighing to himself, he changed into a pair of hisfavorite sleeping pants and a simple t-shirt before sitting down and rubbing at what he could of his shoulder and side, which had been twitching in pain since his fall from the bird. He didn't mind though, he had gone through more painful things during his Turk years, so this was nothing. Slipping into his bed, he tried to relax enough to sleep, or at least wait a while after eating, but he soon found his eyes closing, knowing that Yuffie wasn't so far away anymore.

It was well passed midnight when he woke up to the feel of Yuffie moving into his arms. He let out a long sigh of contentment and took in a breath of her sweet smelling hair. "Have you forgiven me?" he asked quietly.

Yuffie smirked against his chest and nodded. "Yeah, but betray me one more time and I will hit you so hard, you'll hate me for the rest of your life." She wasn't playing, and she would no longer take anything more from him. No more schemes, no more tricks. This was his last chance.

"I don't think I will ever be able to hate you," Vincent murmured, on the brink of sleep.

Yuffie felt him fall into deep slumber and sighed. "I don't think I can hate you either," she whispered into the dark, listening to Vincent's steady heartbeat.

...

...

...

...

...

Okay, sorry for taking so long with the updates, but I got it to you all before the holidays, so hopefully everyone will enjoy. I must say though, that the last three chapters have been add-ons for what I had already outlined. I'm very weird about this sort of thing, and if I don't have an outline for future chapters, it throws me off. Still, I will continue what I had originally planned for this fic, though it'll be a few chapters longer than I had thought. I'm not entirely sure yet, but hopefully you guys won't get bored and abandon me half-way through—I do think we passed the half mark a few chapters back. This fic _can't _be that long—anyway, for those of you still with me from the beginning, I thank you for your continuous support and for your patience. It makes me a happy author to see that you like what I write. Enough of my rambling though, the action is about to start and things won't be all fluffy and sweet for too long. That's all I can say for now. I know this chapter wasn't too creative, but hopefully future chapters will get better and better, so thanks again. To Tori128, Hanna, and Star Anise, thank you for reviewing and sorry I couldn't reply to you. I hope everyone has a safe week!

Joey

P.S. For those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, please don't drink and drive!


	18. Too Late

_Warnings: Vincent and Yuffie have a very smutty anniversary, and ZackTifa fluff!_

.............................

**Too Late**

.............................

For their first anniversary, Yuffie was just happy that they had actually lasted that long. Vincent had been the very picture of a good husband from the day he had taken her to the chocobo ranch and she had to admit that she very much enjoyed it. Her twentieth birthday was coming up and she was happy. Godo kept insisting on grandchildren, but Yuffie had told him that it was his own fault for making her an only child. If only she would've had brothers and sisters, then they would've made him a grandfather by now.

Though he had asked her if she wanted a party for their first year anniversary—as much as she would've loved to rub it in Lucrecia's face—she didn't feel like going through hours of greeting people she didn't like very much. Spending the night with Vincent felt like a better idea. Smoothing a hand down the long, silky dress she was wearing, Yuffie had to admit that Tifa had been right about picking it out. It flattered her curves, and though she wasn't as _pronounced_ in the chest area as Tifa, it still looked nice. The dark green color suited her skin and cinched her waist snugly.

Stepping out of the bedroom, Yuffie made her way towards the garden where Vincent had told her to meet him after the sun had gone down. Her eyes widened as she approached, seeing a table that had been set up with dinner and various lit torches all around, giving them light where it would usually be dark. Various white roses had been scattered around the table, and there was also a vase full sitting on the white table cloth, a white ribbon wrapped around them. Yuffie smiled and felt a gentle breeze blow through her hair.

"Do you like it?" he asked from behind.

Yuffie nodded and turned to look at him. "I never knew you had such a romantic side."

"Well, take advantage of it because there's no one here to interrupt us tonight," said Vincent, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Feeling a little frustrated?" Yuffie asked with a smirk. She wanted to giggle, but it wouldn't be nice to tease the caged animal. A little detail she had tried to keep from her mind was that she hadn't let Vincent touch her for months as some sort of final challenge. Though she had wondered if he would run to Lucrecia then, Vincent had been more than serious about having a real relationship with her.

Vincent sighed and nodded. "You know that I am. But that doesn't mean that I won't wait for you to let me in."

Against herself, Yuffie blushed at his play of words. Rolling her eyes she turned to the dinner and wondered if he had cooked it himself. "You still doubt my cooking skills?" he asked her.

"No. I just never realized you had such a romantic side," Yuffie replied, watching as he pulled her chair out for her.

Vincent waited for Yuffie to sit down before taking a seat himself. They ate in companionable silence, though Yuffie couldn't stop from staring at him. He was still wearing a suit, and his hair seemed to have gotten longer, falling into his eyes. She had a vague idea of what he would look like with long hair and she came to the conclusion that it would suit him very much.

He stopped eating and stared right back at her, noting the dreamy look on her face. "Am I that fascinating?" he asked.

Yuffie smirked and shook her head. "You think too highly of yourself. What makes you think I was thinking about you?"

"Who were you thinking about then?" Vincent asked in interest.

She grinned. "I don't think you'd want to know." Her smile widened when those impossibly red eyes narrowed dangerously. "But I'm kidding. I was only wondering what you would look like with longer hair."

"I've had it long before," he informed her.

"You have?" Yuffie asked in surprise. He nodded. "How long ago?"

"I believe I was sixteen," Vincent said, his eyes glazing over at the memories he had of being that age. He had already been among the most skilled of the Turks, and his body count had surpassed any records of anyone his age. Yuffie let out a small snort that was half laugh. "What?" he asked.

"I was eight when you were sixteen," Yuffie replied. "Sick-o."

"I wasn't attracted to you when you were eight, stop trying to make it dirty," Vincent said with an annoyed glare.

Yuffie broke into laughter at the look on his face. "Come on. Don't tell me you haven't read any of those articles that talk about our age difference and why you married me."

"They're all a bunch of trash. Why bother reading nonsense?" Vincent asked.

Yuffie shrugged. "I personally like to have a laugh now and then, though I still have the memory of you falling off of a chocobo to fuel me whenever I'm feeling lousy," she said with a wink.

Vincent shook his head and twitched when something wet fell on his nose. His eyes narrowed when something hit his glass of wine. Perfect. Just perfect. Yuffie was trying to hold in a laugh as more drops of rain began to fall around them.

"It seems the weather is raining all over your carefully planned dinner," she said with a shake of her head. "I... still loved it though," she said, noticing the look on his face.

"All the careful planning and I didn't stop the check the weather for tonight," he said with a sardonic little grin.

Yuffie stood and walked over to kiss him on the forehead. "Don't worry about it. We'll just move this inside," she said, grabbing their plates and jogging towards the house as the rain came down a little harder.

Vincent watched her go and stood in the rain for a moment, his thoughts on nothing but Yuffie. He could feel the change between them, and it wasn't a bad one. She was comfortable with him now, and though things had been moving far slower than he would've liked, he enjoyed the fact that she was beginning to trust him again.

Yuffie stopped and stared at him from the inside of their home. The rain was falling all around Vincent, and he looked incredibly sexy with the rain soaking through his clothing and his hair. Smiling, she stepped out into the rain and he met her halfway, his lips hot and tasting like rain.

"You think we're going to last a long time?" Yuffie asked him lightly, the rain falling down harder and faster over them.

"I think so," he replied, brushing her hair away from her eyes. "But it will take effort and patience."

"That means that we're totally doomed then," she said with a grin. She started when she saw him smile. It lit up his face and made him seem younger than he was. She had never seen him smile before, but it was a welcome change.

Vincent had to stop and stare at the rain drops trailing over Yuffie's neck and shoulders. It really had been a while since he and Yuffie had... well, maybe it was best if he didn't think about it now. "Happy anniversary."

"Hmm… I'm still waiting to see how happy it's going to be," she whispered, moving forward to press herself against him.

He gave her a nearly feral grin before he picked her up and carried her into the house, the rest of their dinner forgotten. He paused right inside to shut the door and Yuffie took the opportunity to kiss him, effectively distracting him. Once the lock clicked, he pressed her against the wall, nearly knocking down a painting and a decorative vase underneath it.

"Maybe we should go somewhere we won't break things?" Yuffie suggested as his lips attached themselves to her neck and his hands began to unzip the back of her dress. And Tifa had nagged her so much about picking the right dress for her anniversary. Sighing in pleasure, Yuffie dug her nails into Vincent's shoulders as he lifted her and had her wrap her legs around his waist.

He carried her towards the living room and they nearly toppled over the back of the couch when she slipped her tongue into his mouth playfully. "The bedroom, genius," she muttered.

Vincent growled and pulled at her hair so that she would stop distracting him. They made it into the bedroom with only a minimal amount of fuss, and a leaving behind a trail of clothing on the ground and crooked frames on the walls. He dropped her onto the bed and pushed off his pants and boxers, slowly crawling over her and licking every inch of her he could until she was writhing and moaning his name.

Giggling made him stop his ministrations. "Laughing is not the best thing you should be doing at this moment," he said.

"I know. I'm not laughing _at_ you. I just hadn't realized how frustrated these months had made you," Yuffie commented, patting his shoulders teasingly.

Vincent was not in the mood to be teased. Lunging up at her, he caught her lips in a blazing kiss and pushed her hands above her head and held them there. Sliding his body between her thighs, he grunted when her legs circled his hips and rubbed them together intimately. Tonight would not be hers to control, he thought with a smirk. Attaching his lips to her chest, he slipped into her welcoming heat little by little, relishing in her rapid breathing and her gasps of pleasure.

His pace was strong but unhurried, despite her cursing him for teasing her. Her eyes were dark and her hair was already sticking to her sweaty face as she tried to use her hips to urge him on. "Come on!" she nearly whined, still wriggling her hips.

"Just a taste of what you put me through," he whispered, sliding deeper into her, but still slowly.

She pouted, but inwardly smiled when she saw his eyes darken in passion. "I promise to make it up to you," she whispered against his ear.

His interest was sparked. "…How?" he asked, not stopping the movements of his hips, despite the flush on her cheeks and the challenge in her eyes.

"Anyway you want," she trailed off into a moan.

"I will hold you to that," he nearly growled, driving into her with double the strength, gritting his teeth as she began to nearly chant his name in pleasure. There had never been anything like what he was feeling with Yuffie at the moment. No woman could compare to her anymore and he wasn't afraid to think of it anymore. He wasn't afraid to realize that Yuffie had come to mean more to him than any other woman in his life. He feared that there would be no other woman in his life after Yuffie, she was the one he wanted for the rest of his life. The thoughts only intensified their lovemaking and before he knew it, Yuffie was nearly screaming his name, her hands digging into his shoulder as he tried to keep his wits. Then white consumed his vision and he was left panting into her shoulder, his heart pounding away in his chest.

"Well now, it did turn into a _very_ happy anniversary after all," Yuffie said with a grin, patting his back and trying to get him to relax. "What was with the look on your face?"

"What?" Vincent asked in confusion, moving to his side and watching her as she turned to look at him.

"You had a goofy look on your face, as if you were daydreaming while we were doing this," Yuffie murmured, staring into his eyes in the darkness.

"I hadn't realized you had any rational thoughts through it all. I'll have to try a little harder to distract you next time," Vincent replied with a smirk, noticing the narrowing of her eyes and the spark of challenge in them. He let out a long sigh. "I was just realizing that this is something that I want to share with you and only you for the rest of our lives."

Yuffie stared and then smiled before leaning over his chest and kissing him softly. "You're serious?" she asked.

Vincent nodded. "More than I've ever remembered being, and that is saying a lot."

She fingered the wedding band on his left hand. "Now you're making me believe that we'll last for a long time."

He lifted his head to and nibble at her lips. "I know how you dislike jewelry as gifts, but I wanted you to have this," Vincent said, reaching to his side of the bed and to the nightstand, where there was a box she hadn't noticed before.

Yuffie stared at it before taking it and opening the box. Her eyes lit up as a she took in a shuriken made of silver, hanging from a silver chain. She pulled it out of the box and held it to the light of the moon, shining from the nearest window. Embedded into the blades of the shuriken were tiny jades. "You remembered that green is my favorite color," she said with a happy smile.

"I also remembered that your birthday is coming up," Vincent said seriously, reaching up to put the necklace around her neck.

Yuffie found the inexplicable urge to cry, but she refrained and merely stared at him with watery eyes. "Thank you," she said, touching his cheek gently.

"No, thank _you_ for looking past everything I did to you." He kissed her again and Yuffie laughed faintly as his hands smoothed down her side.

"Again?" she asked, shuddering lightly as his lips began to run down her neck.

"As many times as you wish."

"Happy anniversary to me," she said with a giggle.

"Indeed," Vincent muttered in reply.

…………

Tifa looked around the apartment she now shared with Zack and smiled the way she usually did when she saw something they had chosen together. It always gave her a fuzzy feeling to see that she had a home with the man that she loved. Moving away from Cloud had been harder than she had thought, but she had done it. Still, there were times when she couldn't forget the look on Cloud's face when she had told him she was moving in with Zack. She didn't want to think about it anymore, but it seemed that her mind wasn't paying her any attention.

Sighing to herself, she stepped out onto the massive balcony that showed her a nice view of the mountains on the other side of Midgar. Standing in only a pair of her favorite flannel pants and one of Zack's old sweatshirts, she turned to see him step out onto the balcony, already dressed in a nice suit and looking far more handsome than he should've. "Any particular reason why you look so hot today?" she asked with a smile.

"Sweetheart, I look hot everyday," Zack replied, stepping over to kiss her. "But you're right, today we have an important meeting at the office and I have to look my best. Listen... I want to take you out today, so once the meeting is over, I will come by to pick you up, okay?"

"Where are we going?" Tifa asked curiously, sliding an arm around his waist as he squeezed her shoulder and together they walked back into their apartment.

"It's a surprise, but I know that you will love it. Be ready by two o'clock," Zack said, grabbing his keys. He kissed her again and grinned. "Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone."

Tifa gave him a look and scoffed as he closed the door. She wondered where he would be taking her. She often enjoyed his surprises, but there were times when she suspense annoyed her a little, but she would never dream of asking him to stop. The fact that he knew how to make her smile and want to cry at the same time was something she had come to love about him.

After spending the morning cleaning and doing their laundry, she finally took an hour to soak in the tub before getting ready for Zack to pick her up. Pulling on a simple dark red, long-sleeved dress that fell to her knees, she dried and brushed out her hair. Satisfied with the way she looked, and the fact that she was wearing Zack's favorite color on her, she sat back to flip through the TV for something to occupy her time.

A little while later, the door opened and she smiled when Zack stepped through, his eyes lighting up as he looked at her. "Honey, I'm home," he said with a grin.

Tifa smiled and stood to kiss him in greeting. "Do you want to get something to eat now?" she asked him as he walked to their bedroom to change out of his suit.

"Don't worry about me. We ate something when we took a break from the meeting," he said, pulling on a different colored dress shirt and some more relaxed slacks. Running a hand through his thick hair to settle it down a bit, he grabbed his keys and Tifa's hand before pulling her out of the apartment.

"Won't you at least give me a hint as to where we're going?" she asked as he opened the door to his car for her.

Zack grinned and shook his head. "I want it to be a true surprise. It's a place I found a few years ago that I want you to see," he said as he began to drive. "You look beautiful, by the way."

"Glad you noticed," she said with a smile.

"I always notice, whether you realize it or not," he replied, winking at her briefly before returning his eyes to the road. The ride was a pleasant one, though they did have a little bit of an episode when Tifa yelled at a careless driver that cut them off on the highway. Zack had only given her an amused look and had shaken his head, happy that he was the one who usually drove when they were in a car together. Discovering new things about the woman he loved was a real treat.

Pulling up to their destination, Tifa's eyes widened in surprise. "There are still places like these in Midgar?" she asked in awe.

Zack nodded and walked with her towards a butterfly farm. It was a large space on the outskirts of Midgar that had been preserved for the amazing creatures that had been nearly extinct.

"It looks closed," said Tifa, noticing that they were the only ones there.

"I know. I rented this place for a while just for the two of us," he said, motioning for an employee to let them in. Tifa could manage little more than staring. Everything looked beautiful and it was the most greenery that she had seen anywhere near Midgar. "I donate whenever I can to this place, mostly because butterflies were my mother's favorites. I don't remember a lot from her, but this stuck with me and I wanted to share it with you."

Tifa gasped as they stepped into a huge aviary where there were various butterflies moving from one side to another. She smiled pleasantly when they began to land on her arms and shoulders. "Is it because of the way I smell?" she asked.

Zack shook his head and felt his heart warm at the sight of her smile. "It's because of the color you're wearing. Butterflies are attracted to bright colors," he informed her. "Including red." She really made quite a sight, and not for the first time he realized just how beautiful she was. Bringing out his cell phone, he took her picture while she was still smiling and then set it as his background, looking forward to seeing her picture every time he opened his phone.

"Oh, come on, they're using me like some type of kick back spot," Tifa said. Zack smiled and gently brushed the butterflies away, watching them fly off to land in trees and other bushes.

"Do you like it?" he asked her, taking her hand and walking her deeper into the aviary.

"It's beautiful," Tifa said honestly. "How come you never talk about your mother?" she asked suddenly. She had learned not to question him too much, because there were things that she didn't willingly share with him, so she respected his past as well.

"You've never asked me how I really met Vincent," Zack said with a sad smile.

Tifa's eyes widened. "You're orphaned too?" she asked softly.

Zack nodded. "I was also old enough to remember my parents and unfortunately I didn't have anyone to take me in either. I was born in Gongaga, but my real parents moved here before they died. I met Vince in the orphanage. He was thirteen and I was nine and he was like my older brother in a place where you feel like no one wants you, especially when you're an older kid. But I found parents, the way he did, and we lost touch for a couple of years until I met him again when I entered SOLDIER. He was in the Turks, and though we were on different levels of the 'food chain,' he was my brother. He still is," he said with a smile, taking a seat on a bench near a small waterfall.

Tifa rubbed his arm and smiled as she took a seat as well. "You have me now too," she said with a wink.

Zack smiled and rubbed her cheek, his fingers catching in the silk of her hair. "Yeah, I do have you now. But... there's one more way that I want you to be mine," he said quietly.

"How?" Tifa asked, distracted by a rather large and blue butterfly hovering over his shoulder. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head as she saw him slide to one knee in front of her. "Wha… Zack… what are you doing?" she asked, her heart fluttering nervously in her chest.

He pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it, showing her a stunning silver and diamond ring. "Tifa… will you marry me?"

She stared at him with wide eyes, speechless and with her brain drawing a blank. She opened her mouth, but only released an embarrassing squeak. Clearing her throat she smiled and nodded, reaching forward to hug him tightly as he let out a sigh of relief. "Sweetie?"

"Hmm?"

"I kinda need an answer," Zack said after a prolonged moment of hugging.

"Of course!" she said, drawing back and kissing him soundly. When she opened her eyes, instead of staring into Zack's bright blue, she was encountered with a butterfly that seemed to want to land on her nose. "Stop being a third wheel!" Tifa said in exasperation.

Zack smiled at her in happiness and placed the ring on her finger, happy that she had liked the ring. He had been a little apprehensive, since he hadn't bought jewelry for any of his past girlfriends. Standing, he pulled her to her feet and brought her into the circle of his arms. His life felt complete now that he had the woman that he loved with all his heart. "We should invite the others to dinner to celebrate," said Tifa against his chest.

"Does that include Cloud?" Zack asked carefully.

"Yes. Why? …Is that a problem?" Tifa asked him with a frown.

He shook his head. "I was just wondering if it would be uncomfortable for you."

Tifa shook her head. "He's my best friend too. I can't _not_ invite him," she said.

"Alright. How about we ask them to join us a week from now?"

"I like that idea soldier!" she said, laughing happily before hugging him again.

"Come on, we have a couple of more bugs that I want you to see," Zack said, leading the way.

Smiling in true happiness, Tifa followed him.

…………

Though he hadn't always been the most observant of people, Cid knew that there was something wrong with Cloud. The rug rat had been down in the dumps for a while now. He wouldn't talk about it and Cid was beginning to wonder if the kid was depressed. Hopefully he wasn't depressed enough to slash his wrists or something... "Mother fuc—"

"Language, Captain," said Shera from nearby.

"Goddammit Shera, I just dropped a wrench on my fuggin' foot!" he yelled.

"Well, that's what you get for staring into space for such a long time and not minding what you're doing," she said with a hint of a smirk.

Cid glared at her but approached his wife, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Shera... you seen the kid moping around and lookin' like his dog got caught in the propeller too, haven't you?" he asked, not knowing how to get his worry out. Because in all honesty, he saw the three brats—Cloud, Tifa, and Yuffie—the way he would look at his own spawn one day.

"You're worried about Cloud?" asked Shera with a sweet smile. He flushed in embarrassment and was about to let out a few choice curse words when she just kissed his cheek and nodded. "I've seen it too. I think it has something to do with Tifa getting engaged to her boyfriend," she said quietly.

Cid's eyes widened. "Well shit. Is he still in love with her?"

"I believe so. But don't bother him about it. He must be feeling bad enough as it is, and you've never been good at giving advice," Shera said, patting his arm as he glared at her.

Cloud approached them and noticed the sympathetic smile on Shera's face and the frown on Cid's. "What's going on?" he asked curiously.

"Nothing. Are you hungry yet? I have lunch on the stove," Shera said with a smile.

"Yes, thank you." Cloud nodded and wiped his greasy hands on a rag. Since the night of the celebration of Tifa's engagement, he had felt as if he were walking in a haze. He hadn't realized that her truly moving on would hit him so hard. He had opted to leave the apartment and stay at Rocket Town with Cid, working on the last arrangements for the heist. Yuffie was adamant about them finishing it, but he could see that she was giving more and more of her time to Valentine. He was the only one who didn't have someone to share his life with, and now that he saw Tifa truly with another man, a part of him was urging him to fight for her, to not give up so easily again. But… how could he when she looked so happy now?

"Shit," he muttered angrily.

"Did ya hit your thumb or something?" asked Cid, as tentative as he could sound. It came out as a gruff question.

Cloud shook his head. "No. Just thinking," he muttered.

"About Tifa?" Cloud's eyes went nearly glacial as he looked at the older man. "Shit, don't try ta kill me with a look. I'm just… wondering if you'll be okay," said Cid. Which was code for, "I'm worried about you," but he didn't say it.

The younger blond nodded and let out a sigh. "I'm fine," he said after a moment. "But… thank you for worrying."

Cid nodded and was about to walk away when Shera gave him a look from far away. He sighed painfully and turned back to Cloud. "If you love her, fight for her. You'll kick yourself in da head if you let your happiness slip from your fingers," he said seriously.

"_I_ let her go. _I _told her to be happy with him. _I can't _go back with the decision I made, no matter how stupid it seems now," Cloud said, removing the protective metal covering the chopper's engine.

"It's not too late," said Cid before popping a cig into his mouth and lighting it. "She ain't married yet. Once she is, _then_ it'll be too late," he said before walking away.

Cloud checked the fluids of his beloved helicopter and sighed to himself. He couldn't bring himself to decide what to do. Staring into the distance, his memories took him back to the dinner a few nights before. The stunned look on his face and the feeling of falling into a bottomless pit when he had heard the news coming to mind, as well as the expectant look on Tifa's face when she had looked at him.

"_Well, we asked you to join us tonight to celebrate," Tifa said with a smile, nervously picking invisible lint from the pretty green dress she had chosen for the occasion.._

"_Celebrate what?" Yuffie asked curiously, one of her hands wrapped around Vincent's._

_Zack smiled and looked at Cloud briefly before turning to look at Tifa. "I… asked Tifa to marry me, and she said yes!" he said with a happy grin._

_The sparkle in Tifa's eyes could've blinded anyone in the room, but Cloud found himself smiling wanly, just for the sake of one of his closest friends. He didn't want to erase that smile from her face no matter how much the news was killing him inside. Though watching her look at Zack all googly-eyed was making him sick to the stomach, Cloud was quite adept at faking happiness for her. He lost count of how many glasses of wine he'd had. At least the empty feeling in his stomach had eventually faded away._

_At the end of the night, when it was time to go home, she walked with him behind the rest of the group, including Godo. "Maybe in some other universe you and I were meant to be," she said softly._

"_Yeah," he said faintly. "Congratulations." He said it because she expected to hear it from him._

"_Thank you, Cloud. I hope you find someone who will love you the way you deserve soon," she said, turning and catching him off guard as her arms wrapped around him._

_Against himself, he found his eyes closing and his heart relishing in the feel of her, so soft and sweet smelling against him. He kissed her temple before she drew away and offered her a smile. "If he hurts you, I'll kick his ass," he said with a smirk._

_Tifa nodded and smiled. "If he hurts me, _I'll _kick his ass," she said brightly. "Take care, Cloud. I love you," she said lightly, before walking away and towards her _fiancé_._

_Cloud sighed to himself and watched her go, his heart breaking the entire time he watched her looking at Zack instead of him. Running a hand through his hair, he turned and walked off to his car, cursing the fact that he hadn't fought harder for her. It was his own damn fault._

"Stupid… stupid…" he muttered, cursing himself for his weakness. Sitting inside the helicopter, he let out a breath and just stared at the mess of wires he had left behind a few hours before. He needed something to clear his mind of Tifa and the pain it caused him to know he would never be by her side again. Putting aside the feelings of annoyance and self-hate, he got to work on fixing the chopper. Though it looked like the future was set, anything could happen, and until then, he would be patient.

……………

Aerith watched curiously as Zack walked in with a smile, waving and winking at her before entering Vincent's office. He was usually cheerful in the mornings, but the last few days had seemed special somehow. She wondered why. Getting back to her work, she nearly jumped when a blood red rose was placed in front of her. She marveled at its beauty and the length of the stem for only a moment. She knew all about flowers and knew just which ones were the very best and most exotic, and the one in front of her was one of the best. Looking up, she was met with impressive green eyes, and an ever more remarkable curtain of silver hair.

"Ah… your brother is in a meeting at the moment," Aerith said, licking her lips nervously.

"I didn't come to see my brother," Sephiroth said, eyeing the way she fidgeted with the pen in her hands. "What would you say if I asked you to dinner?"

"I'd say I'm busy," Aerith replied, bringing the rose up to her nose to give it a delicate sniff.

Sephiroth chuckled and nodded. "Fiery. I enjoy that in a woman," he murmured.

Aerith blushed and cleared her throat. "Why would you date someone like me?" she asked in genuine curiosity.

"Because you're a beautiful, hard working woman. I like a woman who can take care of herself," he replied, leaning against her desk.

Aerith found herself smiling, but then the door to Vincent's office opened and Zack walked out, only sparing them both a brief glance before stepping into his own office. Sephiroth had been watching her curiously, noting the way her eyes trailed after him. He smirked slowly and then let out a dramatic sigh. "You shouldn't yearn for what you can't have anymore," he said, green eyes glinting with a touch of yellow.

She stared at him and frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"A few days ago, Tifa and Fair got engaged, my brother told me," Sephiroth said.

"What?" Aerith asked softly.

"You heard me correctly. It's too late for you. Besides, they live together, and now they will marry. It's best to just forget the past," he said with a shrug.

Aerith didn't know how to react to his words, but there was a throbbing pain in her chest as she felt her heart break a little. They were getting married? Why so soon? Why… _why_…? Her eyes snapped back to the man in front of her, who had been watching her intently. "You're not going to leave it alone, are you?" he asked, almost in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I need to get back to work," she said softly. "Can I… call you when I have time? I go to school, so most of my free time is spent studying," she said vaguely.

Sephiroth nodded before handing her a card with his number on it. "I'm not a very patient man," he murmured, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

Aerith offered him a brief smile and nodded, watching as he walked away. Letting out a slow, calming breath, she realized that she could do nothing short of drastic to get Zack to see that she was still in love with him. She had never acted against anyone, but in this case, she was willing to fight for Zack. Leaning back in her chair, she stared at the rose and the number Sephiroth had given to her. She had to either let Zack go—be the bigger person—or fight for him using any means necessary.

Her eyes narrowing, her rebellious side took the latter. It was about time someone challenged Tifa for a change. Zack had loved Aerith once upon a time, and she knew that in some part of her, he still loved her. All she had to do was make him see.

...

...

...

...

...

I know you're all thinking that it's going down the soap-opera-ish road, but bear with me. It won't be so bad. Also, I keep saying that all the good stuff is about to start, but I run out of friggin' room for them in the chapter. I'm almost positive that the action will begin in the next chapter. Also, I know I said that Vincent and Zack met five years before, but I'm changing that to fourteen years, which is a way bigger difference, for obvious purposes and for things that will happen in future chapters. The Butterfly facts were provided by wiki, I do like the website, though it can sometimes be a little inaccurate.

Now, to everyone who reviewed, thank you so much. Any good feedback—and threats—are always fun to read. Oh, and to answer Star Anise's question, it was actually a typo, but what you said made me think. I changed it though, because it wouldn't work; sorry if it threw you off! As for Aerith, she'll play a significant role here, but I won't bash her. She's still not my favorite character, but she's actually grown on me a little. I just can't read her paired with Cloud. I won't make her evil here, I promise. I hope everyone has a great week and if I take long with the next update, it's because I have finals next week and I actually _have_ to study. No more procrastinating for me. Everyone have a great week!

Joey


	19. Ups and Downs

Dunno how good I am at describing technology, and though I mostly borrow from movies I've seen, some of it I'm making up. Hope it doesn't seem too impossible! _Enjoy..._

.............................

**Ups and Downs**

.............................

Staring in concentration at the security panel for the Safe in front of her, Yuffie made quick work of the metal plate covering it and took a look at the wires. Various colors greeted her and she cursed. "Decoys?" asked Tifa's voice through the ear piece.

"Various."

"How many?"

"Four different colors, aside from red and green," Yuffie replied.

"Peel back the protective covering and then cross the red and _blue _wires so that they can short circuit," said Cloud.

Yuffie did as they told and cursed when her computer showed a silent alarm go off. "Damn it!" she yelled, standing in the middle of Shinra's office. She stepped towards the edge of the room as Cloud and Tifa greeted her and helped her down from the recreated room.

"Cid has done a good job recreating different scenarios with the security programs. So far, we've gotten six down, but we have four to go," said Cloud. "We need to find something to jam the silent alarms. Then we can move to the next problem on the list."

"You think we'll be done before deadline?" Yuffie asked.

Tifa sighed and shrugged. "I hope so. Who is asking for these things? Any info on the client?"

Yuffie shook her head. "New client on the rise. Wants us to take everything we find in the safe."

"Gotta wonder what Shinra keeps in his safes or if they have something incriminating on the client," Tifa commented, turning to Cloud, watching him as he wiped his hands on a rag. He had been acting strange for a while now, and most of the time he wouldn't even look her in the eye. "You want a ride back to Midgar?" she asked him. "You've been here long enough, haven't you?"

Cloud shook his head and smiled slightly. "No. I think I'll stay here and keep upgrading the chopper. Cid said he had a few more things to add to her and I want to help."

Yuffie made herself scarce and left the two alone. Tifa felt frustration build in her chest at his attitude. Cloud had moved in with Cid a few weeks ago, and he hadn't bothered to inform either her or Yuffie. He wouldn't look her in the eye, he barely even talked to her, and he was avoiding her. As he left the hangar where they kept the helicopter and the copy of Shinra's office, Tifa followed him to Cid's house, where he began to wash his hands with a special solution to remove the grease.

"What is your problem?" she asked him with a frown.

Cloud didn't even bother to look at her. "Nothing is wrong. You're turning this into a big deal and I just want to stay here. Both you and Yuffie have people you spend your time with, that's okay, but I need something to do with my time," he said in exasperation.

Tifa felt like slapping him behind the head. "Then why can't you look me in the eyes anymore?" she asked quietly.

Cloud turned off the water and dried his hands with some paper towels Shera always kept around for him and Cid. Turning to Tifa, he shook his head. "Nothing is going on Tifa. I just need some space," he said, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

"Space from what?" she asked, invading his space and staring him in the eyes on purpose.

"The world doesn't revolve around you Tifa! I have my own life and I need to move on because you already did!" he nearly yelled, his eyes snapping blue fire at her.

Tifa couldn't say that his words didn't hurt, but she at least understood why he was acting weird towards her. "I thought you were happy for me," she said quietly.

Cloud averted his eyes from her once more and nodded. "I _am_ happy," he stressed.

"No you're not. But you know you don't have to lie. You can be honest with me!"

"No... I can't," Cloud replied. They stared at each other for a moment before he sidestepped her and walked off to the small room near the garage that Cid had provided.

Tifa sighed to herself and mulled his words over. He couldn't be honest with her anymore? What did that mean? Walking towards Cloud's room, she nearly ran back out when she saw him pulling his shirt over his head, but she forced herself to stay where she was. Her eyes slid over the tight muscles on his abdomen and she watched his biceps flex as he pulled on a cleaner t-shirt. It was her turn to avert her eyes when he turned to look at her with a sigh. "You're one of my closest friends. I can't even think of a life without you," she said.

"You're getting married," Cloud finally replied. Tifa stared at him. "You're getting married to this guy and I just can't be around to see it."

"Cloud—"

"No. You asked and this is my answer. I love you. I was stupid, and I'm too late. This is why I couldn't be honest with you," he said bluntly.

Tifa didn't know how to reply and she turned to go, her thoughts confused and a jumble in her head. "I'm sorry you still feel that way," she said quietly. But was she really? There was no question about whether or not she loved Zack, but Cloud... what did she feel for Cloud?

"I'm not," he called after her. "Not really. But it does hurt and I need to be away from you for now."

Tifa just sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry," she said before walking away. She had waited so long to hear those words from Cloud, and now that he said them, she was in love with someone else. She was getting married and Zack... Zack was waiting for her back home.

Yuffie was waiting for her by the car when she walked out of Cid's home. "What's going on?" the ninja asked with a frown, noticing the look on her face.

"Nothing," she replied, getting into the driver's seat and waiting for Yuffie to get into the passenger side. "What are you going to do for your birthday?" she asked instead.

"Vince said something about going to see a play or an opera," Yuffie stated with a shrug.

"Well... which is it?"

"Dunno. I never could tell the difference," Yuffie said with a grin. "Why? Did you want us to hang out? We can do that afterwards."

Tifa nodded and smiled. "That would be great. Have you realized that we've spent every one of our birthdays together since my parents and your mom passed away?"

Yuffie smiled sadly and nodded. "You don't want to spend your next birthday with Zack?"

"It would be nice," said Tifa. "But you and I have a tradition thing going."

Yuffie smiled. "Then should I tell Vince to cancel the opera thing? _Should I?" _she asked hopefully.

Tifa laughed. "You don't want to go?"

"I get the feeling that I'll end up falling asleep or doing something equally embarrassing," Yuffie muttered.

Tifa smiled. "You're worried about how it'll affect Vincent or yourself?" she asked.

Yuffie thought about that and shrugged. "I don't know. Both I guess. Vince has been a pretty good husband since I made him work for it. Even Lucrecia hasn't been an issue," she said with a satisfied smirk. Lucrecia was better off knowing when to give up, otherwise she'd sport another shiner if she made a move on Vincent again.

"Could it be that you're finally growing up?" asked Tifa smugly.

"Ha! Look who's talking! Don't think I've forgotten about all the hangovers we've been through together. I can't remember the last party we went to ever since Vincent and Zack came into the picture," said Yuffie.

"Yeah," Tifa murmured with a smile. "Whether we like it or not, they've changed us."

"So... are you going to tell me what happened with Cloud today?"

"No."

"I'll bug you the entire ride back home."

"Not if you don't want to end up hitchhiking back. I'm sure someone will stop when they see you in those shorts."

"Eww. I'm a married woman, Teef. Besides, I'm your only cousin. You wouldn't do that to me," Yuffie pouted.

"Wouldn't I?" asked Tifa evilly.

"You're such a bi-otch," Yuffie replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I know," said Tifa with a grin. "But you love me the way I am."

Yuffie let out a loud laugh and nodded. "Shut up and let's go home."

…………

The evening of her birthday, Yuffie found herself forced into another fancy dress for the opera—or the play, or the friggin' musical. She still wasn't clear which it was—and she stood in the kitchen, waiting for Vincent to finish getting ready. Who knew her dear hubby took longer to get ready than she did? Elmyra smiled as she offered her a cup of hot chocolate. "You're going to see that new play where they tell the story of Meteor?"

"It's a play then? Good, Vincent was vague on whether or not it was a musical or something," Yuffie muttered. "Yes. I think that's the one. He was going on and on about it, but I barely pay attention to what he talks about sometimes," she admitted with a grin.

Elmyra smiled. "You're happy? Vincent makes you happy?" she asked with a fond smile.

Yuffie sighed and smiled. "Yeah. I think he does. It's been a while since we last fought for real," she said with an air of accomplishment in her voice. It really meant something to her that she and Vincent had managed to get along for some time—though she wasn't really counting all the trivial little arguments in between. Those didn't count.

"It's very nice to see you both getting along. Before you, he never brought home a woman. I'm just happy he remembered to be a gentleman and he married you first," said the older woman with a wink.

Yuffie giggled and nodded, for once the memory of being forced to marry Vincent not getting her down. "A gentleman he may be, but sometimes he forgets that I'm still young and I can hardly sit through a movie, let alone some type of opera-play thing. Now... take me to any type of museum functions that have rare exhibits, and I'll be more than willing to walk through it all slowly."

"That is not likely to happen," Vincent interrupted, stepping into the kitchen wearing a fancy new suit and looking too handsome for words. "Especially when we know what tends to happen when you are in close proximity of something shiny and valuable."

Yuffie looked at him from head to toe and smirked. "You have such little faith in me," she said with a pout.

"No. I just know you that well," Vincent replied, leaning down to nip at her lips. Elmyra had already turned away to wash the mugs and give them some privacy. "Are you ready to go?"

Yuffie looked down at herself and Vincent followed, his eyes caressing her from the silky line of her neck, the curve of her breasts, and down her hips. She was wearing a gown made of glittering midnight-blue material that hugged all the right places and gave an impressive view of her smooth back. "You can ogle later, unless... you want to cancel and keep our party private," she murmured, her nose bumping his chin.

Vincent shook his head. "You'll go off to party with Tifa and I want us to have this at least. I promise that you will enjoy it," he said honestly.

Yuffie caved and nodded, pressing her forehead against his chest. "Fine," she muttered, slipping her hand into his as they said goodbye to Elmyra and began to walk out to get their coats.

As they reached Vincent's car outside, his phone went off and he frowned, taking it out and answering it. "Yes?" he listened for a few minutes, a dark expression coming over his face as Yuffie watched curiously and in silence. He closed his phone and nearly growled.

"What's going on?" Yuffie asked curiously.

"Someone tried to hack into my system at the office," he said simply, eyeing her reaction covertly.

"Well, don't look at me! I'm standing right here with you!" she exclaimed, feeling insulted that he thought she had done it. Besides, it would be like stealing from herself now, since she and Vincent were married. And also because she wouldn't have failed. Vincent had said someone had _tried; _she would've gotten the job then, especially with Cloud and Tifa's help.

"What about Tifa and your friend?" Vincent asked carefully, as if he were reading her mind.

"We don't want anything from you," Yuffie said darkly. "We tell each other about our heists and you aren't on the list," she said, waving him off and without thinking her words through.

"So there's still a list. You still have plans of stealing again," he said incredulously.

"Oh, come on! You knew me when you married me. At least a little. I just don't bow down and take orders so easily, Vincent. Just because you ordered me to stop stealing doesn't mean that I'll do it. I thought you were smarter than that," Yuffie said with a long sigh.

Vincent glared at her. "I have to go to the office to investigate this. You will go to the play with Tifa."

"And if I don't?" she asked defiantly.

Vincent turned to her and cupped her cheek, not bothering to rise to her bait. It was ber birthday after all. "I accept that you are who you are and I cannot change that. It doesn't mean I like the fact that you put yourself in danger for it, no matter how good you are. Just... promise not to do something foolish that will land you in jail or worse," he said quietly.

Yuffie placed her hand over his and nodded. "Fine. I'll go to the stupid play," she grumbled. "Emotional blackmail is the worst kind," she said with a pout.

Vincent smirked and leaned forward to kiss her, literally stealing her breath away. He handed her the tickets. "Have fun," he said before moving to get into his car.

Yuffie watched him go and scowled. She dialed Tifa's number as she walked to her own car. "Teef? We have a play to go to in about forty-five minutes. Think you can do something with your face in that time?" she asked with a grin.

"_Hey! I have the hottest girlfriend in the world!" _called a different voice.

"Why is he always listening to our conversations?" asked Yuffie in exasperation.

"Because he can't help being nosy," Tifa replied. "What happened to Vincent?"

"He got a call about someone trying to hack his system. He thought we'd done it, but as far as I can remember, there were no plans to break into Vince's company, right?"

"No plans here and Cloud is too far away to attempt something like that," said Tifa.

"_What happened now?" _asked Zack from the other end. Tifa briefly explained and went back to Yuffie. "So he canceled on you and now you want to share the pain?"

"Pretty much. Be ready quick?"

"Okay. I'll see you soon," said Tifa before hanging up.

………

Despite her aversion for sitting through anything longer than two hours, Yuffie found that the play had been a good one and that it would've been nice to enjoy it with Vincent, but when she had called him during the intermission, he had told her that he was sorry and that he wouldn't be home any time soon; neither would Zack. As she waited patiently for Tifa to exit the ladies room once the play was over, Yuffie took a look around the theater, and marveled at the inside architecture. The ceiling was painted with angels that looked as if they had belonged to a church. There were massive red curtains pulled back from long windows and a curving staircase off to the left, complete with a red carpet. She had never seen a more beautiful interior before.

"I would be able to recognize such beautiful eyes from a mile away," said a soft voice from behind her.

Yuffie smiled and turned to look at Genesis. "Fancy meeting you here."

He nodded. "I got word that you would be here, and I couldn't pass up the chance to see you again," said Genesis, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

"You do remember that I'm married, right?" she asked with a smile and a soft blush.

"Of course. That is not something easily forgotten," he said, taking a step forward and closer to her. "Where is your husband?"

Yuffie tried to back away as subtly as she could, but the marble banister pushed against her back. "He's working. I'm here with my cousin Tifa," she replied, feeling a little antsy as Genesis reached a hand up to touch her chin.

"He shouldn't leave you alone for so long," Genesis murmured, leaning forward so that their noses nearly brushed.

Yuffie stared at him with wide eyes and felt her mouth go dry. What had they been talking about? Though Vincent was unlike any other man she had ever met, she had to admit that Genesis had a certain something that drew her like a moth to a flame. "Maybe I should leave," she murmured, but didn't move.

"You feel it too," he said with a smirk, not missing the way her eyes darted to his lips.

"Feel what?" Yuffie asked, blinking.

"The attraction," Genesis drew out the word.

"What attraction?" she asked stupidly.

Genesis smiled. "You're just too cute for words," he said slowly, leaning in towards her.

Yuffie panicked and got ready to slug him if he got fresh, but instead of kissing her lips the way she had thought he would, he kissed the edge of her jaw, making her breathing quicken a little. Somehow, it seemed more intimate. It was probably because that was where Vincent liked to kiss her. Stepping away from him, Yuffie shook her head to clear her thoughts. "I'm married, and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize my marriage."

"I haven't ever heard you say you love Valentine," said Genesis curiously.

"No one but Vincent needs to know that," said Yuffie coolly, reclaiming control of her wits. No matter how hot the man was, he would not make a fool out of her. Especially considering how closely watched by the media she and Vincent were. Letting out a small sigh of relief, she spotted Tifa walking towards them. "I have to go," she said, beginning to walk away from him.

Genesis caught up to her and took her hand in his, sliding a card between them. "You gave me your private number once. I am now giving you mine, for _anything_ you may ever need. Do not hesitate to call me," he said before he began to walk away.

Tifa watched him go and then turned to Yuffie, who had just crammed the card into her purse. "What did he want?" she asked.

Yuffie shook her head. "I think he was trying to hint about having an affair."

"Have you considered it?" Tifa asked as they walked together towards the exit.

"No. Though I won't deny that he's hot. I think it's the red hair and the blue eyes," Yuffie said with a sigh. She turned to Tifa when her cousin gave her a look. "No, Tifa. Vincent and I are in peace. We get along and I'm actually happy."

Tifa hummed in understanding, but she couldn't shake the image of what she had seen when she had exited the ladies room. She just hoped that if Yuffie was serious about Vincent, she didn't let Genesis interfere. Yuffie had always been attracted to trouble, and Genesis had trouble written all over him. Letting out a sigh, she smiled. "Since Zack and I already picked our wedding date, how about we start to plan my bachelorette party?"

Yuffie grinned as they made their way to the car. "How wild are we allowed to get?"

"Considering I'm about to sign my life over to the love of my life..." Tifa started, thoughtful. "The wilder the better," she said with a grin.

"I can certainly work with that. Let's just keep it quiet in front of the men," Yuffie replied. Oh, she certainly had very creative ideas on how to plan _that_ type of party. What Vincent and Zack didn't know couldn't hurt them.

……………

By sheer coincidence, Tifa's party was going to be on the same day as Zack's bachelor party. Neither of them knew, but Yuffie had gotten it out of Vincent during a particularly sensitive moment. She laughed haughtily as she stood towering over him. "I'm nearly ten years younger than you. Did you honestly think that you could beat me in hand to hand combat?" she asked him as he laid on the polished floor of his training room, flat on his back.

"I wasn't fighting at my full potential," he muttered, sitting up with a small groan.

"Right," Yuffie purred, silver glinting in her hands.

Vincent eyed the ninja stars she held in her fingerless gloves and wondered how much damage she could really do with the small weapons. She raised an eyebrow at him and before she could even blink, his leg swung out and made her topple over, arms flailing and the stars falling a distance away from them. He broke her fall with his arms and rolled over her, pinning her body down.

"That was a cheap shot," she muttered.

"There are times when I don't play by the rules," he murmured, leaning in to kiss her collarbone.

Yuffie shuddered and grinned. "I didn't know you were so talkative while you're getting your ass handed to you."

"Keep the knowledge of the bachelor party to yourself. Otherwise I will inform Zack of Tifa's party so that we can crash it," said Vincent, fingers sliding over the waistband of her sweat pants.

"How did you find out about it?"

"Have you ever heard yourself talk on the phone?"

"You wouldn't dare tell Zack," Yuffie hissed.

"Wouldn't I?" Vincent asked her with a raised brow.

Her eyes narrowed, but her head fell back when his lips trailed over her bare midriff, and bellow her navel. "Crash our party and I'll make you sleep in the dog house."

"We don't have a dog," came the deadpanned tone.

"I'll get a dog and then make you sleep outside."

"Fine," replied Vincent, tugging her pants off amidst her giggling.

About an hour later, Yuffie walked out of the training room with her cheeks flushed, a smile on her face, and a bounce to her step. Vincent looked smug as he followed her, his hair more than mussed. Making their way to their bedroom for a shower, Vincent paused to turn the television on to watch the stock channel the way he usually did, even when he took personal days. Instead, he found his eyes riveted to an image on the channel that Yuffie liked to watch for the gossip.

"You wanna join me?" Yuffie called from the bathroom. When she was met with silence, she stepped out, clad in a robe and looked at Vincent with a frown. "What's going on?"

Vincent motioned towards the TV with the remote still in his hand. "Care to explain _that_ to me?" he asked in a soft growl.

Yuffie stepped further into the room and looked at the screen, her eyes nearly jumping out of her head in shock. There she was, exactly where she had been standing and waiting for Tifa to exit the ladies room, the night of the play. Genesis leaned in towards her and kissed her chin. On the television screen it looked far worse than it had been and the reporter of the gossip show was going on and on about rumors of an affair and problems with her marriage to Vincent.

"Sons of a bitch," Yuffie hissed under her breath, looking at Vincent as she bit her lip. "You don't think that it's true, do you?" she asked, disgusted at the entire segment they had dedicated to sightings of her and Genesis together.

Vincent crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. "Why didn't you tell me that you had run into him the evening of your birthday? Was there something you wanted to hide?" he asked darkly.

Yuffie scoffed and attempted to touch his arms, but Vincent nearly shoved her away. Her eyes narrowed and she snatched the remote from his hands before hurling it right into the expensive TV. The screen cracked with the force of the impact and then shut off. "That's what I think of that bullshit report and if you had the balls, you'd trust me to not cheat on you," she spat before marching into the bathroom and slamming the door shut.

Vincent ran his hand with near violence across his face and cursed Genesis for existing. The bastard had been after Yuffie for some time now, and Vincent wouldn't put it past the other man to try to sabotage his marriage. But that fact didn't help with the jealousy he could feel bubbling in his chest at the memory of Yuffie letting the other man kiss her. Especially in a place where _he_ enjoyed kissing her. He walked towards the bathroom door and knocked. "Go fuck yourself, Valentine."

Vincent let out a long breath and refrained from pounding the door down. He knew that she was truly angry because only then would she revert to addressing him by his last name. "Yuffie... we need to talk about this."

"Talk about what? Whether you would rather believe a a gossip show more than me? I had seriously begun to think of you as someone I wanted to be with; someone I wanted to trust and who would trust me. If this is how you trust me, I don't think I want to be with you anymore."

The fact that she would attempt to dismiss him as if their marriage was a whim only served to add to his own anger. It irked him that she thought that she could wash her hands free of everything without a second thought. "I just asked you to explain what the fuck it was that I was seeing," Vincent snapped through the door.

There was silence and Yuffie was glaring at the door from her side. It was seldom that Vincent truly cursed and it was surprising to hear him say the words sometimes. "Are you blind or just plain stupid? He was the one who kissed me. I didn't think to tell you because I wanted to avoid this exact fight we're having. Did it matter to me? Hell no." _He may be nice to look at, but he's not you._ Thankfully she stopped her mouth from saying that, knowing that it would only add wood to the fire. She opened the door to glare at him without it to interfere. "Do you honestly think I would cheat on you?"

"You've said you'd do it many times before," said Vincent, staring her in the eyes.

"I _said..._" she stressed, "...that if _you_ cheated on _me_, I would find someone to return the favor with. I'm just that vindictive," she said with no remorse. "But... have you been cheating on me?"

"No," Vincent said seriously, curtly.

"Neither have I." She paused and looked away from those red, red eyes. Finally she shook her head. "I thought we were okay. Was it all in my head?" Yuffie asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Vincent shook his head and stepped towards her to wrap her in his arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Seeing her looking so unsure about them as a real couple did funny things to his heart. It also served to show him that he wasn't the only one threading uncharted waters. He may have been a 'ladies man' once upon a time, but he had only ever had one true relationship, and Lucrecia had burned it all to the ground. Being with Yuffie—even with her short twenty years of age—was something entirely new and disconcerting at times. But he couldn't deny that it was refreshing and exciting as well and he wouldn't have changed it for anything in the world.

"That is... the second TV you've broken that belongs to me," Vincent said with a small smirk.

"You'll have to make the next one Yuffie-proof," she said with a laugh.

Vincent lifted her chin so that their eyes could meet. "I am taking you and I as serious as possible. This is no longer a game," he murmured, holding her gaze and never wavering.

Yuffie nodded in understanding and then smiled. "Good to know," she said brightly.

"Promise me one thing?"

"...Okay," she said slowly, apprehensively.

"If he approaches you this way again, you will tell me."

"Vincent..." she trailed off.

"Promise me," he said seriously.

Yuffie made a noise in the back of her throat and nodded. "Okay, I'll tell you."

Vincent nodded once and ran his thumbs across her cheeks. "That's all I ask."

"How about we take a shower now? Tifa and I have a busy few days. She's already looking for a good place to make her wedding gown."

"Tell her to check with the people who make my suits," Vincent said, walking her to the shower.

"Tifa doesn't need a suit," Yuffie said, rolling her eyes.

Vincent gave her a look of annoyance. "_I know that_. These people make only quality suits and they also have a section dedicated to gowns of any kind. I think Tifa would find something suitable made with imported quality silks from Wutai."

Yuffie was thoughtful for a moment and then nodded. "You might have an idea there, Ace." She grinned when he rolled his eyes at the petname. "I'll talk to her about is, so just give me the address later. Now, there's the matter of you owing me a back massage after I kicked your ass a while ago?"

"Fine, fine. I promise you that the next time we spar, I won't hold back," he said, turning the water to a temperature that bordered on scorching, but would work well with relaxing their muscles.

"Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better," Yuffie muttered.

"What was that?" Vincent asked, eyes narrowed.

She grinned and shook her head. "Just telling myself how I look forward to massaging _you_ the next time."

Vincent gave her a suspicious look and just nodded. It was probably for the best that he hadn't heard whatever it was that she had said under her breath. He really wasn't in the mood to argue anymore. His eyes narrowed as he set about massaging the tension from Yuffie's shoulders. Whatever Genesis wanted, he didn't seem willing to let it go, no matter that Yuffie was married to him. The next time Genesis laid a hand on her, the man would learn what it was to have Vincent Valentine as an enemy. There were those who knew first hand that he could be as vindictive as Yuffie if the occasion called for it.

The ruthless part of him was waiting in anticipation for Genesis to make a wrong move.

……………

Zack sat surrounded by various friends and close acquaintances in Reeve's apartment. The man was one of the smartest he knew, and he was very successful in the business department. The had also been old friends for years, and though no one else knew it just yet, Reeve was also celebrating his own engagement to Shalua. There were various bottles of alcohol set on the sturdy, wooden dinner table and already four empty bottles sitting in the kitchen.

The had come up with the lamest game—though it didn't seem so lame anymore, especially with the way the room was beginning to spin—with the sole purpose of getting him can't-walk-straight type of drunk. Every time Tifa's name was mentioned, he had to take a shot. So far, he'd had about six. Though he had a high tolerance for alcohol, he was beginning to feel the buzz thanks to Reeve acquiring the strongest liquor he could find. Smiling to no one in particular, he listened to the married men recount the most dreadful stories of when their wives had been planning their weddings.

Vincent was also quite in a buzz by then, but he refused to give any insider info on Yuffie and he merely listened, providing Zack with his drinks whenever Tifa was mentioned.

"Didn't anyone get a stripper?" one man called.

"Not unless you want Tifa to find out and kick her boot so far up our ass that we'll taste leather," Zack replied, laughing along with the rest of his friends.

"What makes you think that she didn't get a stripper of her own?" asked Reeve with a drunken grin.

"She wouldn't..." Zack trailed off, uncertain.

"Of course she wouldn't," Vincent said, patting him on the back.

"You're right," Zack said, smiling again.

"Here you go," said Vincent, handing over a shot glass. "You just said her name."

Zack downed it and nodded. "This game is fun."

Vincent merely smirked and tried very hard to not think about what Yuffie was doing at Tifa's own party. Hopefully it wasn't going past drinking or any wild behavior. Leaning back in his chair, he watched the men chatting with each other, drinking and having a good time. There was a knock at the door and Reeve let in a woman clad in a police uniform. Cheers broke out all around and Zack turned to Vincent.

"You did this?"

"No. Must've been Reeve. I didn't think he had it in him," Vincent replied.

"Who is the birthday boy?"

"Uh... Miss?... It's a bachelor party," Reeve said, always so polite.

"Right," the woman said with a smirk.

Zack raised his hand reluctantly and again turned to Vincent when the woman began to walk towards him. "If Tifa finds out about this, she's gonna kick my ass."

Vincent nodded and handed over another shot. It was going to be a very interesting night.

……

By the time the party was over, many of the men were passed out and those who could still walk and even think a little coherently had taken cab's back home. Reeve had offered his spare room to Zack so that he wouldn't have to leave the apartment so drunk and get lost or ran over by a car on the way home.

Zack groaned and opened his eyes to find that he was on his back in a room that wasn't his and that he was still fully clothed. He was beyond drunk and he couldn't remember how he had gotten to bed, but a strange sensation had forced him to bleary wakefulness. Squinting into the darkness, he could see that a clock next to the bed read that it was almost three in the morning in a too bright red, but other than that, he couldn't figure out what had interrupted his sleep.

Then he felt it. Gentle hands moving up his legs and stomach, towards his chest. He closed his eyes when sweet smelling hair fell across his face. "...Tifa?" he asked, voice deep and rough with sleep. He was too drunk to feel her freeze against him. "...y'smell different. Are you using a new sham...poo?" he asked, smiling as her lips moved over his neck and shoulders.

"Touch me, Zack," whispered her soft voice.

"Kinda drunk," he muttered, fighting with his desire to sleep. Still, being with Tifa was always above anything else. "Dunno if I can... do you any favors. But I can't pass up the chance t'make love to the woman I love."

Green eyes glinted in the dark and had he not been so drunk and with his eyes closed, he would've seen who she truly was. "I'm sorry Zack, for doing things this way. But... we'll consider this a goodbye," she murmured, touching his cheek gently.

"...goodbye?" he muttered, his hands smoothing over her hips. "Naw... don't go anywhere," Zack whispered, pulling him towards him and sealing their lips together.

Sinking her fingers into his hair, she shook her head. "I won't," she whispered, her eyes sliding closed. Tifa had taken someone from her before, it was only fair that she took something back.

...

...

...

...

...

So sue me. I don't really know what goes on in a bachelor party, but I'm going by what I've seen on TV and movies. Aside from that, I know many people will be torn between Cloud and Zack now, though I can't really say where we're headed ; many of you will probably figure it out. All I can say is that there are things that won't turn out the way you would expect. Also, we'll glimpse into Tifa's party in the next chapter, and Vincent and Yuffie will have some problems of their own to deal with.

Always, thank you so very much for your reviews, for taking the time to actually give me encouragement. Also, thank you so much to those of you who wished me luck on the finals. They're over and I'm fairly happy with how I did. I'll try my very best to write as quickly as I can and expect in the next month the oneshots that I have started and are half-finished. So I hope I don't get tomatoes thrown at me for how this chapter ended, and yes I know that it's dramatic and crazy, but have fun. I know I'm having a great time writing this. I wish everyone a great weekend and I hope to update soon!

Joey

P.S. Thanks for pointing out the typos. There are times when I don't see them, but I'll get to them tomorrow.


	20. Improbable

I'll be jumping ahead in time a little, so I hope it isn't too abrupt. CloudTifa fans avert your eyes! _ZackTifa smut up ahead, so if you dislike reading those scenes, just skip it. _Enjoy!

.............................

**Improbable**

.............................

Tifa giggled as she listened to old friends from school tell stories about the worst boyfriends they had ever had. Though she and Yuffie had once upon a time preferred to start off with hard liquor, they were having a great time just dancing and drinking margaritas in silly looking cups. "So... fess up Tifa, is he really good in the sack?" asked a girl with dark brown hair, sweet eyes and an easy smile. She could've easily been a female version of Zack.

"Jessie, I told you from the beginning that I was not going to share sex tips with you!" Tifa exclaimed with a giggle. "Why don't you ask Yuffie here, I bet she has plenty of stories to tell."

If they had been birds, the women would've literally flocked to her, but they all just angled towards Yuffie and began to ask her questions about Vincent, making random comments about how attractive he was, and asking questions about what he hid behind the suit. Yuffie mouthed curses at Tifa while the brunette stood to get herself another drink and to paw through the gifts her old friends had brought with them.

There was a knock at the door and Jessie stood with a grin. "I got you a gift, Tifa!" she yelled.

"What?" Tifa asked with wide eyes, and a nervous grin making its way onto her face.

"A stripper," Yuffie said with a smirk.

"Oh, come on!" Tifa said, half a groan half a laugh, taking another margarita. She was beginning to feel more than a buzz, but she was feeling carefree and happy at least.

"You're not going to stay single for much longer. Just shut up and enjoy," said Jessie, running to answer the door. She was greeted with blond hair and blue eyes. "Wow. They're sure making 'em pretty these days."

Cloud gave her a strange look and then noticed that various women, a few of them familiar faces, were staring at him too. He turned to Tifa and saw that she was trying not to break into laughter. "He's not a stripper. He's Cloud!" she exclaimed, moving to him and hugging him tightly.

Cloud stiffened a little when she pressed herself completely against him and that was when he caught the whiff of alcohol on her. "You've been drinking?" he asked.

"Bachelorette party," she said with a smile, moving back to pet his hair and give him a look as if searching him to make sure he was healthy and unmarked. Cloud gave her an uncomfortable look and tried to push her away gently but Tifa stuck to him like felt. "Why'd you knock the door?" she asked curiously.

"Forgot my keys in Rocket Town. I took them out of the keychain and I was halfway here on Fenrir when I remembered that I didn't have my spares. It's a hassle to have so many keys when I'm on Fenrir," he explained, noticing how he was the center of attention of about fifteen women.

Yuffie cleared her throat and Tifa released Cloud, still smiling. "You should go. We're waiting for a stripper," she said, smiling and blushing at the same time.

Cloud flushed a little and nodded. "I'll lock myself in my room," he said before waving at everyone and walking down the hallway to his bedroom.

Tifa smiled and told the women she was going to use the restroom as they all broke out into murmurs about how handsome Cloud was and asking Yuffie if he was single. She walked towards Cloud's room and slipped in as he was taking off his jacket. "Are you here to stay?" she asked him, not able to hide the hope in her tone.

Blue eyes regarded her curiously and Tifa began to feel a little self-conscious when she remembered the dress she was wearing. Though it was of a shade darker than Cloud and Zack's eyes, she had loved the color at first sight. The cleavage was modest, but the length of the dress was not. She had toed off her heels and was standing in front of him barefoot, with eyes a little glazed thanks to the many margaritas she had already imbibed. Her hair was still the perfect waterfall of long, dark silk, and Cloud couldn't help the way his eyes slid over her like a caress he would never be able to act on.

He finally nodded after a moment longer of staring. "Yes. I think Cid was getting annoyed at the fact that I always walked in on a personal moment. Nothing weird, but I don't think Cid wanted anyone to know that Shera made him wash dishes a few times a week," Cloud said with a smirk.

Tifa giggled and nodded, relieved that things with Cloud weren't as awkward as she had feared they would be since his admission of love towards her. Turning to go, she heard him sigh quietly and she paused with her hand on the doorknob. She turned back to him and smiled. "I'm glad you're back," she murmured.

Cloud nodded and approached her, opening the door for her. "I'm glad I'm back too," he said quietly.

A look passed in her eyes, making the maroon look even darker, and he stared right back at her, trying to get his body to move away from her. It wasn't working. His breath shuddered out when he met her half-way, their lips touching gently and sending a current through him at the taste of her and the alcohol on his tongue. He touched her cheek gently and felt his heart sing when her own hand slid up his chest and settled over his heart.

She broke the kiss and stared into his eyes with a dazed expression. Just as he was leaning towards her for another kiss—her engagement to another man forgotten—she slumped forward and into his arms, completely unconscious. Cloud caught her before she fell and pulled her away from the carpeted floor. He moved Tifa towards the group of women outside who all began to fuss over her as he settled her on the couch.

"I caught her in the hall, about to pass out," he lied. Yuffie was the only one who gave him a look, since she appeared to be the most sober out of all of them—never mind the fact that she was still a year away from legally drinking. At least Tifa was already twenty-one. Yuffie motioned to her mouth and circled it, then motioned to his.

Cloud touched his lips and paled as he came away with the color of the lipstick Tifa had been wearing. Taking the napkin his friend offered, he cleaned away as much as he could without seeing what he was doing. He sighed and shook his head when Yuffie looked at him again. "I'll be in my room," he said before walking away from them.

Yuffie sighed and stared at her cousin as she slept on peacefully. Hopefully Tifa wouldn't remember anything she may have done with Cloud that night once she woke up.

"The stripper is here!" the women cheered excitedly.

Too bad the bachelorette was unconscious.

…………

Zack groaned awake in the morning and knew it had been a bad idea to drink so much the night before, but Vincent had gladly kept passing the shots over. He could remember that much. After the party had finally died down, he could remember Reeve and Vincent nearly dragging him into the bedroom and dumping him on the bed before they were gone.

His eyebrows drew together as a fractured memory of touching a soft body flashed behind his tightly closed eyes. A perfume that he had never smelled on Tifa before also came to mind, but she couldn't have really been there. It must've been a very pleasant dream his alcohol addled mind had cooked up for him. Groaning again, he sat up and only then realized what time it was and that fact that he was wearing his boxers only. Scratching the back of his head, he stood and walked off to the bathroom of the bedroom that Reeve had so kindly provided.

Looking at the mirror above the sink, he winced. He looked like shit, and he wasn't exaggerating. There were bags under his eyes and he looked a little pasty because of the hangover. What caught his attention though, were the marks around his shoulders. He recalled the last time he had been with Tifa and chalked the marks to that moment on the afternoon before his party. He washed his face, brushed his teeth and dressed in his rumpled clothing before walking out and towards the kitchen for some much needed water.

Vincent was sitting on the couch, looking very much how Zack felt and he had a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. Reeve grinned at them both and appeared to be the only one not suffering from a hangover as he handed Zack a glass of water and a painkiller. "Good morning!" said Reeve cheerfully.

"Only for you," Zack muttered before he swallowed the pill and gulped down the water in one go.

"But at least you had fun, right?" Reeve asked, refilling his glass of water as Zack took a seat next to Vincent.

A smile finally made its way to Zack's face and he nodded. "Yeah, thanks for that. You sure know how to throw a party, Reeve," he said.

"Ah, thank you. Eager for the big day?" asked Reeve, taking a seat in front of him.

Zack nodded and grinned. "I love her the way I've never felt for anyone before. She's what keeps me moving. She's what makes me want to be a better person," he said honestly.

"I feel the same about Shalua," said Reeve, his face brightening. "She knows a lot about technology. She's my soul mate; a woman after my own heart," he said with a chuckle.

"Because she knows about technology?" Vincent asked flatly.

"Don't listen to the ball of sunshine here. He's just cranky because Yuffie makes him work for it," Zack teased.

Vincent resisted the urge to throw his coffee at the other man, it was probably because he was usually cranky after waking up hungover. That was why he avoided that state as much as possible. "The fact that I have to make an effort makes it all the more sweeter in the end," he put in.

Reeve nodded in understanding. "Zack... I have a slightly embarrassing question to ask you." Zack gave him his attention. "By any chance, did you invite Tifa over last night? I could've sworn that I heard strange noises coming from your room, but I'm wondering if I was just that drunk," he muttered the last mostly to himself.

Zack frowned and shook his head. "No. As far as I remember, I didn't see Tifa yesterday. Well, since the moment I left her to come to the party." His frown deepened when a flash of green and the smell of flowers moved through his mind, but quickly fled from his grasp.

Vincent just shrugged at Zack's look and stood to wash out his finished cup of coffee. "We should clean now because I must leave soon," he offered.

"The great Vincent Valentine—business man of the year—is offering to clean my apartment?" Reeve asked with a smile. He ignored the glare the other man sent him and the snicker coming from Zack. "Don't worry about it. I'm going to have someone come clean it. I have to meet Shalua for breakfast and there won't be enough time. Just go get some more rest and get through the hangover," said Reeve.

"I told Tifa I would be out late with some friends, but I don't think she'll be happy I was out all night," said Zack, standing and clutching his stomach when it told him that it was ready to expel its contents now.

"I'm sure Tifa had other things to think about," said Vincent offhandedly.

Zack was suspicious as he ran his hands through his hair to try to get the spikes under control. "Why do you say that?"

Vincent shrugged, his own hair in disarray. "No reason in particular, except that Tifa also had a bachelorette party," he said, moving towards the door.

Zack frowned as a thought entered his mind. "You don't think she got a... a stripper too, do you?" he asked.

Reeve smirked. "Why not? You got one," he said.

Zack glared as they all walked to the door. "That doesn't make me like the idea any better," he nearly snapped. He didn't like hangovers either, particularly because they made him feel sick and cranky.

Reeve just sighed and shrugged. "If she did get one, you don't get to be angry with her. It would make you a hypocrite," he said smartly.

Blue eyes turned to him. "For once in your life, can you stop being so damned smart?"

"I'm sorry, but that's impossible," said Reeve seriously. The effect was ruined when he smiled good naturedly. "But think of it this way... if she finds out that you got a stripper too, _she_ won't be able to get angry either."

Vincent just sighed and smirked to himself. Yuffie should've known better than to get a stripper, otherwise they would have some words. "Let's get going. Thank you Reeve," he said.

Zack nodded and shook hands with the other man. "Yeah, thanks. I had a lot of fun and I plan on returning the favor for you. Just let us know when the wedding day is and we'll plan your bachelor party," he said, clapping the other man on the shoulder before he and Reeve left.

"Do _you _think Tifa got a stripper?" Zack asked Vincent once they were at their cars.

Vincent shrugged. "I think we're better off not knowing," he muttered.

Zack waved once and then got into his car. His friend was very much right.

………

Yuffie gave Tifa a suspicious look as she walked out of her old room, freshly showered and very much looking like she was still hungover. "Want some water or orange juice?"

"Juice please… did you cook?"

The ninja gave her a look that asked if the alcohol had rotted her brain. "_No_. I ordered from the restaurant a few blocks away. I always did like ham and cheese croissants," she said.

Tifa looked a little green and just sipped at her juice. "How long was I out yesterday? I just remembering waking up to a man in a top-hat and very small spandex shorts," she said, not being able to stop an embarrassed laugh.

Yuffie smirked. "You were out for about thirty minutes. I didn't think you'd wake up just to keep sucking down _more _margaritas. Do you remember anything that you did last night?"

"No. Why? Is there something that I should remember?" Tifa asked in worry.

"Yeah. You should remember why Cloud was wearing your shade of lip stick when he carried you out here, passed out," said Yuffie curiously.

"Shit," Tifa breathed, slapping a hand to her forehead. Bad move. It only intensified her headache. "I... I was going to the bathroom, but as soon as I said it, I decided to go to his bedroom instead," she murmured.

"Ew. You guys didn't... you know... while we were all out here, did you?" Yuffie asked in distaste.

Tifa glared at her, eyes snapping fire. "How long was I in there, Yuffie?"

"You're right. Though it makes me want to hurl just thinking about him this way, I don't think Cloud is a one-minute-man," she said with a shrug.

The look on Tifa's face was almost comical. But Tifa scowled at her cousin. Her comment had put some very interesting but inappropriate images in her head. As soon as those images faded, others took their place and _those_ she remembered quite clearly. "We—I—kissed... him," she said, putting her head in her hands. "Leviathan the Great, what am I going to tell Zack?" she nearly wailed.

"Nothing," Yuffie said evenly. "No one has to know. For that matter, no one has to know that you even remember."

"But... I don't think I can live with myself knowing that I'm lying to Zack about this. It's just that... we've already had so many fights because of Cloud. I don't know what he'll think after this," Tifa said quietly.

Yuffie shook her head. "You don't _have _to tell him. Not if you want to ruin what you have. Besides, it's not like you're in love with Cloud. Now, there we would have a big problem. Teef, you were drunk and we do stupid things when we're drunk."

"Oh, yeah? Like what?" Tifa asked in exasperation.

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Remember what happened back in school, before graduation? Me and some guy named Squall?"

Tifa nodded in remembrance. "As I recall, he had a girlfriend who wanted to claw out your eyes because of some rumors involving you, him, and a janitors closet."

"No rumors, my dear Teef," said Yuffie smugly.

"They were real then?"

"Yep. A few of the guys had snuck in some liquor and they decided to share with me. Let's just say that I was a _base _or two away from it being a home run," Yuffie said with a snicker. Tifa broke into laughter that trailed off into painful groaning when her headache decided to remind her that it was still there. Yuffie just patted her shoulder and handed over some painkillers just as there was a knock on the door. The ninja walked over to get it and smirked when she was met with her rather disheveled and unkempt looking husband. "Why, honey, you look like you missed me," she teased.

Vincent grunted and stepped in, pressing a soft kiss against her lips. "You have no idea how much," he muttered, noticing that she looked as fresh as spring rain. "You didn't have a rough night?"

"Oh, I had a wild night. I've just been able to handle my hangovers way better than _some _people," she said, guiding him towards the kitchen table where Tifa was sitting, looking hungover for the both of them.

"Morning Tifa. I won't say 'good' for obvious reasons," said Vincent as he took a sip from Yuffie's juice.

Tifa nodded. "I can't understand how Yuffie can look the way she does after a particularly interesting night. She never looks like she has a hangover," she said in envy.

"I'm just that special," Yuffie said, flashing a wink at the both of them.

"How wild a night was this?" Vincent asked, eyes narrowing.

"Nothing you should worry yourself with," said Yuffie, stuffing a croissant into his mouth before he could keep asking. "Teef, you want a ride to your place?" Yuffie asked pointedly, silently telling her to forget about what had happened between her and Cloud.

Tifa nodded. "Yeah, thanks. Thankfully those who were sober enough helped clean up the apartment," she muttered, setting the dirty dishes in the washer and then grabbing her purse. She fixed a few more things and smiled when she noticed that Vincent and Yuffie were standing by the door, fussing and looking very much like a married couple.

She couldn't wait to act that way with Zack, and she didn't want to ruin the special relationship they had. But she could also remember the various arguments she'd had with him, demanding he trust her. Her behavior sure wasn't making her look good at all. Cloud had been gone by the time she had gotten up, and a part of her was thankful, while another part was a little disappointed. Now though, she knew it was for the best. She wouldn't have known what to say to him, especially when she remembered that he had kissed her back and he had been sober.

Looking at the ring on her finger, Tifa sighed and made a decision on what to do as she walked towards the door. She would keep her indiscretion to herself and hope that Cloud didn't think that she wanted to forget about her engagement to Zack. There was no time for second guessing now.

………

Zack scratched the back of his head as he concentrated on the numbers before him. The yearly audit was coming up and everything needed to be in order. Which it was, thanks to him and Angeal. It had just taken him twice as long to get his work done because his mind seemed to enjoy wandering towards his fiancée and their upcoming wedding. His eyes glazed over a little as he imagined Tifa walking into the room, already in her wedding dress, her eyes shining and her face illuminated by the lights... He looked up when Aerith entered his office, looking a little pale and jumpy, shattering his daydream. "Are you okay? You look like you're going to be sick," he said in worry.

"I'm fine," Aerith said with a forced smile and nodded. She hadn't been able to look him in the eye for nearly two weeks now, since she had found out where his bachelor party would be. She had taken advantage of his drunken state and she knew it. In the early morning when she had left him, passed out and deeply asleep, she had felt dirty. But she couldn't take back what she had done anymore. It was too late for regrets and she would have to live with her guilt for the rest of her life. "I just caught a stomach flu. I spent the entire weekend throwing up."

Zack made a face and nodded. "Listen... I know you don't like Tifa much, but I would really like it if you were to come to the wedding," he said tentatively.

Aerith bit her lip and shook her head. "I don't think that would be a good idea. I... Zack, I can't."

"Why not?"

"Are you that oblivious?" she asked quietly, her eyes watering.

He frowned and ran a hand through his hair. "Aer... I love Tifa. You _know_ that," Zack murmured.

"That's the point. I just can't be there to see you and her tie your lives together forever. I thought that Cloud would've turned out to be the man of my life, but he's not. And obviously you aren't either. But seeing you every day, watching you smile, having you close, it's not working for me. I already asked Vincent to transfer me to his office in Junon so that this doesn't interfere with work."

Zack gave her a sad look and nodded. "I'm sorry you still feel this way and that I've hurt you."

"It's not your fault," she said quickly. "It's mine, for clutching onto impossible dreams."

"Will you be okay?"

Green eyes lowered to the floor. "In time," Aerith replied. "I hope you're happy, Zack."

"I hope you're happy too," Zack replied, watching her as she walked out of his office.

Outside, Aerith stopped to lean against the wall, a hand on her stomach as it began to churn with nausea again. She had been feeling sick for the past week and she feared that maybe she hadn't caught the flu. And if she hadn't, it would change everything.

………

Yuffie sighed to herself as she sat in Godo's office, trying not to look too bored. She had been helping her father the last few days with some business contracts that were turning out to be entirely too easy. She needed a challenge and Vincent was on a business trip, which he had offered to take her on, but she had declined. When Vincent worked, he left her alone for prolonged periods of time and she would've spent her days being bored in a hotel room in Junon instead of being bored in her father's office. Here at least, she had _some_work to do with old Godo, and besides, she had her own office too.

Godo stepped into his office and smiled when he saw his daughter. "Lonely?"

"Old?" she asked him instead.

"I'm not that old," said Godo, smoothing out his suit.

"Right," Yuffie muttered. "No, I'm not lonely, but I am bored. Stupid Vincent. I don't see _why_ he has to go on business trips."

"You know why. Stop being deliberately obtuse," Godo scolded.

Yuffie just sighed and began to flip through the channels of her father's TV set. She stopped to look at one of the gossip shows she had stopped watching after they had nearly ruined her relationship with Vincent. Blood-sucking bastards, they loved to make money off of peoples personal lives. There was a segment on Vincent this time, which had followed one on Zack and Tifa's approaching marriage. Though Zack had a reputation on his own for being one of SOLDIERs most recognized after Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis, Tifa had a name among the business men herself, the same way Yuffie did. It wasn't every day that two girls under twenty-one were allowed to handle an important company like Godo had allowed them to do. But back to the point. The show was making a segment on Vincent and the women he had been linked to before marrying her.

Yuffie rolled her eyes when they showed beautiful magazine-spread type of women, and then they went on to point out about rumors of an alleged affair with Lucrecia that had never been proven, and then his impromptu marriage to a girl nearly ten years younger than him.

Godo watched her silently and then shut off the TV when he saw the growing scowl on his daughter's face. "Is he making you happy?" he asked, turning to his work.

The ninja set down her feet from where they had been propped up on his desk and she turned to him. "You always aske me that, but yeah. Sometimes though, he thinks he can control me, but he finally realized that it's impossible," she said with a smirk.

Godo just rolled his eyes to himself. "_You_ are impossible, daughter."

"I know."

"Just like your mother."

"I knew I hadn't gotten it from you," Yuffie said with a wink.

Godo sat back in his chair and regarded her silently. "There are a lot of things that you got from your mother," he said with a fond smile.

"You mean things like charm, beauty, and craftiness?" Yuffie asked, standing.

"Yes," Godo said, standing to walk her towards the door. "You also received her grace, her kind heart, and her beautiful eyes."

"Thanks, dad," she said with a smile, standing on the tips of her toes to plant a kiss on his forehead. "I have to go. I told Teef I would meet her at the dress fitting in twenty minutes. She's driving me up the wall with all the wedding preparations, even _with _a wedding planner."

"You tell Tifa to have all she wants. She is just as much a daughter of mine as you are," Godo said.

Yuffie nodded. "Don't work so much, old man. You have to live to see if I ever pop out a kid or two," she said cheekily.

Godo let out a chuckle and nodded. "I will take that into consideration. Now go. Vincent should be back soon. I spoke to him before he left, and he expressed his unwillingness to leave you, no matter how short the amount of time. The man is very much in love with you," he said calmly.

Yuffie stopped herself from reacting to her father's words. Mostly because she didn't want him to suspect anything about the forced marriage. That was over and done with and her father didn't need to know. But Vincent being in love with her? That seemed unlikely. Yeah, he was probably worried about her going off and stealing the rich blind while he was gone. Yeah, that was it. Love wasn't an option. It wasn't something she would willingly think of at the moment.

………

Zack smiled to himself as he watched Tifa getting ready in the rooms provided by the hotel where their rehearsal dinner and then the wedding party the following day would be held. He would love building a life with her. He didn't mind if they waited a few years for children, but he had no doubt that they would be the best parents. Besides, he wouldn't be able to resist having a baby girl who would undoubtedly look just like Tifa.

She turned to smile at him as she slipped her engagement ring back on. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?" she asked quietly, slipping her arms over his shoulders and massaging him gently.

Zack shook his head. "I'm more excited than nervous. I just can't wait for you to be my wife," he replied, slipping his hands up her hips.

Tifa leaned down and kissed him softly, sighing in pleasure and happiness. She felt like nothing could ruin her evening with Zack as they celebrated their last evening of being single. "I was driving Yuffie crazy with all the preparations. She's never been big on party planning, but she stuck with me through it all," she said with a giggle.

"I'm glad you're happy," Zack said honestly, leaning up kiss her again, taking the chance to slip his tongue over her bottom lip.

"You're eating my lip-gloss!" Tifa whined.

Zack pulled her down onto his lap and began to kiss her in earnest, pushing her gown up her legs and hips. "I'd think you would be telling me to stop before we get carried away," he murmured, his lips sucking in the skin at her neck.

"Should've thought of that before you kissed me. If we're late for the dinner, I'll kick your ass from here to Wutai," she gasped, feeling his fingers slipping under the barrier of her panties. Her fingers clumsily undid his belt and pants before she slipped her hand inside, stroking and earning a gasp from Zack.

"Keep doing that and we'll be earlier than you think to the party," he said with a lopsided grin. "Did you lock the door?"

"Don't remember," Tifa gasped out as he pushed her underwear aside and brought her down hard onto his lap, moving up and into her welcoming body.

He couldn't remember the last time he had ever felt this complete with anyone else. He loved Tifa with every ounce of his being and he wanted to make her happy for the rest of their lives. Her gasps and moans were like music to his ears and just the way that she said his name made him nearly delirious. Her hands unbuttoned his shirt and moved across his smooth chest, murmuring softly about how much she enjoyed touching and seeing him.

Tifa's eyes then fastened on his face, noting—and not for the first time—how his eyes seemed to glow while in the heat of the moment. Maybe it was her imagination, maybe his eyes were just that blue, but she loved the faces he made, and the way he reacted to her every touch. She moved forward and slipped her tongue into his mouth sensuously, enjoying the way his eyes slipped closed and how his fingers dug harder into her hips. "You'll tear my dress," she gasped out.

His fingers slipped to the back of her thighs as his movements increased pace and strength. She clung to his shoulders and closed her eyes as the heat began to build quick and steady until she was moaning his name into his mouth in pleasure. He let out a drawn out groan into her own mouth and fell back against the couch, gasping for breath as she sat there for a moment, her eyes glazed and her face coated with a thin sheen of sweat.

"I'll kill you if you tore my dress," she muttered, her breath still not steady.

Zack grinned and leaned up to kiss her, eyes so full of love, Tifa thought her heart would burst free from her chest. She reached a hand up to touch his cheeks and jaw, not knowing how to express just how much she loved him too. In that moment, she knew that her feelings for Cloud had passed. Moving to stand, she held her dress as she walked with Zack towards the bathroom. "It's a miracle no one walked in on us," Tifa said.

"Did you lock the door?"

"I don't think I did," Tifa muttered, a blush staining her cheeks. "Oh, Leviathan thank you. Thank you for not letting my Uncle Godo walk in on us," she muttered.

Zack snorted out a laugh and nodded. "It wouldn't make a good impression if he walked in on us right in the middle of it, huh?"

"I think he'd take back his okay of me marrying you," said Tifa. "Geez, how can you look all cool and composed just a few minutes after we finished making love? I look like I've been running laps around the building," she muttered, eyeing herself in the mirror.

"Don't be jealous, sweetheart. Seeing you disheveled and thoroughly satisfied is a big stroke to a man's ego," Zack said with a grin.

"Not if we have a party to get to."

"Don't you just love the fact that we've already perfected the art of the quickie?" he asked mischievously.

Tifa's cheeks burned pink for a moment at his comment. "If you're done making me blush, would you mind taking care of the guests while I finish here?" she asked with a pretty pout, fluttering her eyelashes for added effect.

Zack smiled and nodded, leaning in to kiss her gently, unhurried. "You know I can never resist that face," he muttered. He kissed her nose and turned to go, fixing his tie as he went.

Tifa sighed and looked herself in the mirror again. The fact that they hadn't used protection didn't scare her anymore. She loved Zack so much at the moment, that having a baby with him was something she was looking forward to now.

……

Yuffie smiled as she looked around Tifa and Zack's party. She had never been big on parties, but she was sharing in Tifa's excitement. It was great to see her cousin so happy. She really did deserve to get a happy ending. She stood in a closed off terrace, watching Vincent as he walked around the room and spoke casually to the guests that had already arrived. He had a sort of charm that he worked to his every advantage. It was a shame he hadn't used it on her when they had first met. He had just come off as arrogant and overbearing. She smirked when he looked over at her and raised an eyebrow in question.

Yuffie rolled her eyes at him and then smiled as he began to make his way over. "Don't think I didn't see that woman's hand on your ass," she muttered.

Vincent looked slightly violated. "She's known me since I was twenty and she does it every single time I see her. It doesn't even disturb her to know that she could be my grandmother."

"How does Zack know her?" Yuffie asked, stifling a giggle.

Vincent shrugged. "I think he used to cut her lawn or something of the like, back before he joined SOLDIER." Yuffie wrinkled her nose and slipped her hand into his, smiling to herself when he brought her hand up to his mouth to kiss. "I thought you would be with Tifa," he said.

"I thought so too, but she asked me to oversee the party while she finishes getting ready," said Yuffie with a smile. They stepped out into the terrace, where the sun was setting, and she sighed quietly when he turned her into his chest and leaned down to kiss her against her jaw. Her eyes met his and Yuffie would never cease to be amazed by the particular shade of red in his eyes, set in a handsome face that bordered on looking delicate. His hair, she mused—and not for the first time—would look even better if he kept it longer. "Grow out your hair," she said quietly.

Vincent smirked and shook his head. "Too much trouble."

"Will you at least show me a picture of what you looked like with longer hair?" Yuffie asked with a pout.

"I don't think I have any, but I will look," he said, his fingers skimming over her carefully styled waves. He knew that her hair was as stubborn as she was and it had taken an exaggerated amount of time to get the strands into the waves they were in now. "Why don't _you _grow your hair out?" he asked instead.

Yuffie sighed and pressed her forehead against his chest, over the fancy suit, before answering. "I haven't had my hair long since my mother died. The day we laid her to rest, I cut it. It's been short ever since," she admitted.

Vincent sighed and realized that there were tightly guarded secrets that she hadn't shared with him. It warmed his heart to know that she was finally letting go of her control and she was allowing him in. "Maybe it's time for you to try growing your hair out," he said quietly.

Yuffie gave him a calculating look and smiled. "I'll make you a deal." He knew what it was before she said it. "I grow my hair, you grow yours," she stated.

"I'll consider your proposition and get back to you later," he said with a smirk, backing her against the marble banister surrounding the terrace. He leaned down and kissed her, not caring one bit about who may have been watching them.

"What a pretty picture," a smooth voice, laced with only a small amount of sarcasm interrupted their moment.

Yuffie moved away from Vincent and knew who was standing behind him just by the sound of his voice. She looked up at Vincent and shook her head, pleading for him to let it go and not make the problem bigger. She stepped between him and Genesis and gave the other man a smile. "How are you this evening, Genesis?" she asked politely.

Genesis' eyes met Vincent's and he noted the look on the other man's face. "I'm fine. You are looking as beautiful as always, Yuffie. How are _you, _Vincent?"

Vincent inclined his head. "I am more than good, with Yuffie by my side," he said calmly. And he wasn't lying at all. He couldn't remember a time when he had ever felt better.

"I know you must think the worst of me after what the media showed a few weeks ago about Yuffie and I," said Genesis, taking a sip from the glass he was holding.

"I do not mind. I am confident that Yuffie will not seek attention anywhere away from our home. She's not that type of woman," Vincent replied.

Yuffie smirked and nodded, satisfied with Vincent's answer. "Genesis knows that. Don't you?" she asked the red-haired man seriously.

Genesis didn't know whether she was faking in front of Vincent or whether she was sending him a message to back off permanently. He was aware that his next move would more than likely end badly, but he was at a point beyond caring. He eyed Yuffie from head to toe in a look meant as a challenge to the other man. Vincent's eyes narrowed and he moved forward, but Yuffie held her ground and didn't move from in front of him. "You can't fault me for looking at a beautiful woman," Genesis murmured.

Yuffie had to force her blush down as she tried to keep Vincent from maiming the other man. Vincent stopped struggling against Yuffie; he knew she wouldn't move away from his path. "No, I can't fault you for that. But I _can_ fault you for looking at a married woman. Touch her or approach her again and I will hurt you," he growled.

"That's enough!" Yuffie snapped, noting the way Genesis was about to rise to the challenge. "I don't need either of you treating me as if I were some type of property!" she nearly yelled.

"My apologies. I did not mean to step on some toes," Genesis said calmly.

"I'm sure you didn't," Yuffie said sardonically.

Genesis smiled secretively and merely began to back away. "I will leave you both to speak alone," he said.

Yuffie avoided Vincent's hand when he tried to touch her shoulder. "Did you think I was joking? I'm pissed off and if you touch me, I'll end up punching you... or worse," she hissed.

"He didn't seem very guilty about causing problems between us. Did you stop to think that maybe he did all this on purpose? Even the scandal at the play?"

Yuffie scowled and then let out a long breath. "I don't know him too well, but it doesn't seem improbable," she replied. She didn't act on her threat when Vincent slipped his arms around her.

"I didn't mean to treat you like a possession," he said quietly, tilting her chin up to look her in the eye. "That is the farthest thing I see you as. I have come to value the woman that you are here," he said, his hand setting over her heart, beating strong and surely in her chest.

She smiled against herself and nodded. "You have no idea how much I appreciate those words, Vince. Just don't ever think that I'm foolish enough to fall into Genesis' advances. He's not the man that's occupying my thoughts," she admitted.

Vincent couldn't help the small smile on his lips. He leaned forward to kiss her, but Yuffie ducked away with a grin and walked back into the party to see over the guests. The smile died some when she looked towards the hallway beyond the main entrance and she spotted Zack and Aerith arguing. It struck her as strange that the other woman was wearing casual clothing. She began to move away from Vincent, but he stopped her.

"You shouldn't interfere," said Vincent quietly, noting that the argument looked serious.

"I'll interfere because Tifa is like my sister and because today is a special for her. Besides, no one invited her here and it's obvious that Zack is having trouble with her," Yuffie snapped, twisting her arm out of his grip. When she finally got free of him, she walked as fast as she could in the needle-thin heels Tifa had conned her into and smiled at the guests who greeted her. When she reached Zack and Aerith she heard the last part of what Aerith was saying to him.

"Zack, I'm pregnant," Aerith nearly sobbed.

"How does that have anything to do with me?" Zack asked, turning towards the party and seeing Yuffie standing there.

"You're the father," she whispered.

Yuffie's eyes widened and she let out a long breath. This couldn't be happening and she sure as hell wasn't about to keep this from Tifa.

...

...

...

...

...

Okay, I know it was abrupt again and I don't know how well the chapter flowed, but the next chapter will begin with Zack and Aerith's argument, so that you guys aren't so thrown. Then it'll continue with the party. You're all probably rolling your eyes at me, but hey, I'm trying to get this part of the story out of the way to continue my plot. The smut was a little dirtier than I usually write, but I hope it wasn't bad. Before those of you who noticed it ask, no, there won't be a FF cross-over with characters from other FF series. I just thought quick and couldn't come up with a good name for anyone Yuffie would remember with embarrassment. Though in Kingdom Hearts II Leon(Squall) does look very very hot. But let's not get into that now.

Also, I finally decided on the pairing between ZackTifaCloud. This will be a ZackTifa fic, though it doesn't look like it now. My apologies to CloudTifa fans, but I find myself rooting for ZackTifa more than for CloudTifa. That's the way I like things and how I've outlined the rest of the story. Sorry! Now, I'd like to thank everyone who reads and reviews this story and for being so patient. This last week was crazy and next week is shaping up to be the same way, so I don't know if I'll update as regularly as I wanted to. Still, thank you for taking the time to read my drama filled soap, you have no idea how happy it makes me. See everyone next year and I hope everyone has a good time!

Joey


	21. Blindsided

_Aveira, this chapter is for you, because you were awesome enough to listen to my ideas and because you gave me all new ones. Thank you(Go read her fics if you haven't)!_

Warnings: Just language, drama, and angst.

.............................

**Blindsided**

.............................

After shutting the door after him with a smile, Zack began to make his way towards the party, running his hands quickly through his hair in order to get it to settle down a little so that it wouldn't be obvious that he and Tifa had been busy in the other room. As he rounded the corner, a small smile bloomed on his face when he saw that Aerith was standing around, looking a bit lost. "Hey, I didn't think you would come after what you said to me at the office," he said quietly, catching her off guard.

Aerith sighed and looked down at herself, dressed in jeans, a turtleneck, and a long coat. "I'm not exactly dressed properly," she said with a forced smile.

"What are you doing here then?" he asked her. Aerith felt her hands grow sweaty and felt lightheaded. She almost fell backwards, but Zack caught her and helped her to her feet. "Are you okay? Are you still sick? It's been like a week already since you had that stomach flu, maybe you should see a doctor," he said seriously.

"I did see a doctor," she said softly.

"And what did he say?" asked Zack.

"I'm... I'm... It's something that will change both our lives," she began, but couldn't seem to get the words out. She knew. She knew that once she told him what she had done, Zack would more than likely hate her for the rest of her life. But it wasn't something she could keep from him. Not if she wanted to add to her guilt. She knew she was being selfish, but...

"Aer?" he asked in worry. She had trailed off and her eyes were out of focus. With how sick she seemed, he was worried that she would just faint.

"Zack, I'm pregnant," Aerith nearly sobbed.

"How does that have anything to do with me?" Zack asked, turning towards the party and seeing Yuffie standing there.

"You're the father," she whispered.

"What?" Yuffie asked incredulously.

"What?!" Zack echoed her a little louder.

"Maybe we should talk in private," said Aerith, wringing her hands.

"Maybe you should start explaining what this woman just said," Yuffie hissed, nearly shoving them into a room off to the side where no one would hear them. "Talk!" she snapped at the brunette.

"This does not concern you," Aerith replied, her eyes full of tears. "This is between Zack and I."

Zack stood there for a moment and shook his head. "What you're saying is impossible. You and I have never... we've never been together," he said, giving her a look as if she had gone crazy. "Yuffie, what she's saying makes no sense. I've never had sex with her!" he said bluntly, beyond being gentlemanly towards a woman who obviously wanted to stop his marriage to the woman he loved.

"Well, do you have proof that you're pregnant and that Zack is the father?" Yuffie asked Aerith.

Aerith shook her head. "I have the test results the doctor gave me, but I would willingly give the baby a DNA test to prove Zack is the father." She paused, her heart constricting at the look on his face. "That night of his bachelor party. In Reeve's apartment." She looked Zack in the eye as a flash of recognition went through his blue ones. "You and I..."

He shook his head again, harder this time. It couldn't be. He had dreamed of Tifa that night and he was sure he had been too drunk to do anything. But how could she possibly know when and were the party had been? "No. You and I did nothing," he said, turning to go, shaking his head at Yuffie.

Yuffie gave them both a look and her eyes narrowed. "Something happened," she accused, looking at Zack.

"Not willingly," Aerith murmured.

"He raped you?" Yuffie asked in disgust.

"I think it was the other way around. I took advantage of the fact that he was drunk. He thought I was Tifa. I let him think that I was Tifa because I wanted that night to be some sort of goodbye. I regretted it after. I saw how wrong I had been and I felt dirty and like the worst human being in the world," Aerith said, tears trailing down her rosy cheeks. "I'm sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen!"

Zack froze at her words and couldn't believe what he was hearing. He couldn't believe that Aerith, the wonderful, sweet girl, the girl he had once upon a time introduced to his adoptive mother years ago, would be able to do something so... underhanded and _dirty_. "I can't believe this," he muttered, running a hand over his face.

Yuffie couldn't believe what she was hearing. It all sounded like some very twisted BS, but Aerith looked serious and Zack looked like he was about to be sick. She was torn between hating him for the pain he would cause Tifa once she knew, and feeling sorry for him because he'd really had no say in getting the other woman pregnant. But if she was forced to choose sides, of course she would always take Tifa's. "Why are you doing this now? The night before their wedding? What did you hope to gain out of this?" she asked the green-eyed woman.

Aerith didn't know what to say. "I just... I thought..."

"That I would leave Tifa for you after you tricked me into sleeping with you?" Zack asked darkly. Neither of the two women had ever seen him so angry before. He let out a long breath when more tears trailed down her face. "Aerith, I need you to leave. I can't even look at you right now," he said quietly, turning his back to her. "Maybe in some time I can speak to you like a civilized human being, but right now I'm fighting the urge to yell."

"I'm sorry. I didn't want this either, and I know it's all my fault. I wasn't trying to get revenge on Tifa making Cloud and I break up, tell her that, won't you?" Aerith asked quietly.

"What makes you think I'm telling Tifa anything about this?" Zack asked coldly.

Aerith choked back a sob and nodded. "Contact me soon about what we'll do with the baby. I... despite this situation, I won't demand for you to be in his or her life. I hope you and Tifa are happy," she said quietly, before walking out.

Yuffie looked at Zack and shook her head. "I can't believe this is happening. Are you seriously not going to tell Tifa? You must know that I won't keep this from her. My duty is to her and only her because she's my family."

Zack looked up at the door when Vincent entered and moved to stand next to Yuffie. He didn't mind his friend finding out about this new drama in his life. Besides, Vincent knew almost everything there was to know about him. "I don't expect you to keep this quiet, Yuffie. I just need some time. Tifa and I are getting married tomorrow," he said, sounding a little hollow.

"What makes you think she'll want to stay married to you once she finds out that you got Aerith pregnant, no matter how unintentional?" Yuffie asked with a shake of her head. Vincent watched with surprise but said nothing to either of them. He didn't know enough to comment. Yet.

Zack sighed and felt he could use a drink at the moment. "I'll get to that problem when it presents itself," he muttered.

Yuffie bit her lip and clutched Vincent's hand in both of hers. She knew Tifa would be angry and hurt—even more so at her for keeping the news from her—but she wanted her cousin to hear it from Zack and not from herself. She didn't know if she would've forgiven him had he been Vincent and he had gotten Lucrecia pregnant. Her nails dug into knuckles and Vincent pulled his hand out of her grip as Zack walked out of the room. "Sorry... I was just wondering what I'd do if you got Lucrecia pregnant, even by accident." At his blank look, she explained what had just happened between Zack and Aerith.

"I hope Tifa takes this better than you did. You certainly behaved yourself," Vincent complimented, running his hands across her shoulders gently.

"A part of me understands that it wasn't intentional, but the other part of me—the part related to Tifa—wants to kick his ass to the moon and back for the pain he is going to cause her once she finds out," Yuffie said with a sad sigh.

Vincent ran a hand through her hair, ignoring the careful waves, and pulled her into his arms for a hug. "You'll wait for him to tell her?"

"Yeah. But if he doesn't tell her a week after they marry, I will tell her myself," Yuffie said quietly. She couldn't even bear to think of how Tifa would take the news once she knew.

……………

Tifa was retouching her make-up when there was a knock on the door. She was happy and full of love because of the wedding and because she couldn't wait to see if she would get pregnant. She felt like nothing could burst her happy bubble. How wrong she was.

Aerith stood on the other side of the door, her stomach in her throat and trying to keep the strength she had been gaining since she had entered the hall where the dinner would be. She looked at Tifa's face and felt guilt consume her. She had never meant for things to spiral so out of her control, but it was too late for regrets. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"

Tifa felt her smile wilt a little and nodded, allowing Aerith to enter the room. "I don't mean to be rude, but I only have about five minutes," she said as politely as she could. She didn't care about what Aerith had to say, but she would listen and then get on with her life. She turned to the other woman and crossed her arms across her chest. "How can I help you?"

"I know... I know Zack will be even more angry with me because I'm the one telling you and not him... but I don't want to hurt him even more. You must understand that he didn't do any of this intentionally. I... was the one who took advantage of him while he was drunk and allowed him to think that I was you. I did it because I wanted a special night to remember him by and then I would move on and force myself to accept the fact that he he had married another woman," Aerith said quickly, hoping that Tifa wouldn't interrupt her.

"Wait... what? What are you talking about?" Tifa asked with a confused frown.

"I'm pregnant," said Aerith quietly.

"And?" Tifa asked, still not connecting the pieces of what she had just heard and Aerith's explanation.

Guilty green eyes met maroon. "Zack... he's the father."

In that moment, she didn't truly register the words. Her brain refused to cooperate with her ears. Then in the next moment it all hit her like a ton of bricks to the head and she nearly fell back. Zack had gotten Aerith pregnant? "What?" she whispered.

"I... it's not the way it sounds. I meant what I said. I took advantage of the fact that he had been drunk and I never meant for this to happen. I didn't want to break the two of you up. I just wanted to remember Zack by the night we spent together. No one else was supposed to know!"

Tifa took in a slow breath and then let it out, trying to calm her nerves, which were on overload at the moment. "You did it on purpose didn't you? Was this some petty revenge for me kissing Cloud all that time ago? Wow, thanks Aerith. A kiss is certainly the same as a kid, isn't it?" she nearly yelled.

"I didn't do this on purpose, believe me!" Aerith exclaimed. "I didn't. A baby was the furthest thing from my mind, knowing that Zack was marrying you."

"And you came to tell me because... you want me to break up with him so that he can be with you now?" Tifa scoffed and paced, her fist clenching and unclenching in anger. She didn't believe the other woman at all. "It's well played out, Aerith, congratulations," she spat, clapping her hands sarcastically.

"No. I don't want you to break up with him. I came to tell you because I want you to understand that this wasn't something he was planning and it certainly wasn't his fault. Please, just... marry him and don't blame him for it," she said softly, not knowing what to make of Tifa's anger. For some reason, she had expected tears and possibly a slap or two from the other woman.

Tifa's eyes were red with the effort of keeping her tears from showing. She would be damned if she cried in front of the woman carrying Zack's baby. Just those last two words made her want to curl up into a ball and cry, but she wouldn't do it. She would break apart once she was alone. "Well, you should know that I'm not a cold hearted bitch like you," Tifa hissed, moving to stand in front of the other woman when her eyes sparked with electricity. She didn't like being called names? Too fucking bad.

"I know you're angry. All I'm asking is for you to be angry with me. Zack... he was drunk. I'm having his baby but he hates me... and you're the woman he loves. I know you love him too—" A slap stopped her words and Aerith stared in shock at Tifa, who finally wasn't able to hold back her tears.

"Don't you dare talk about what I feel for Zack," Tifa said, voice like steel. "And be thankful that you're pregnant, otherwise you'd be in pain." Another pause, this one tense and suffocating. Though it felt like she was tearing her own heart from her chest, it was the best thing she could do at the moment. "As of this moment, my relationship and engagement to him is over. I won't keep an innocent child from having a family—regardless of who his or her mother is and what she is capable of. You win, Aerith. I surrender in this silent war you've been waging against me. You love him, and you did everything in your power to break us up, no matter how passive it was. Did you think I didn't know that you told him many times that you thought I still loved Cloud? Or how you told him about the kiss back when he and I first started dating? All the little subtle hints about how I probably didn't love him the way he deserved?"

Tifa shook her head. "I'm not like you. I kissed Cloud, but it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. You and he were almost broken up anyway, I just pushed you over to make the decision without feeling guilt. You've always loved Zack, haven't you?"

"I didn't... I didn't set out to purposely get pregnant," Aerith murmured, defeated. She couldn't even look the other woman in the eye, or remember how much she had disliked Tifa for getting between her and Cloud. That really had been nothing compared to their situation now.

"He'll be free for you to make a move now, and don't bother telling him that I already know you're pregnant. He won't let me go if you do. But you will live with the knowledge that he will be unhappy and that you brought this on him," Tifa said, eyes like cold rubies. "He's an extraordinary man, he would've taken care of you, even if we were to get married, but your baby deserves his complete attention. I won't sit back and force this child to be Zack's second priority."

"Don't do it, Tifa. Don't break his heart," Aerith pleaded, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Do you think I want to?!" Tifa nearly cried. "Besides, though he didn't have a say in this, he still got you pregnant while he was with me. He shouldn't have been so stupidly drunk that he couldn't recognize who it was that he was fucking. He doesn't have as much blame as you do, but he isn't innocent in this situation either. Now get out. I don't ever want to see you again, do you understand me?"

Aerith shook her head. "Tifa, please!"

"Get out!" Tifa screamed, voice raw. There was a knock at the door and Cloud poked his head in after hearing her scream. "Get her out, Cloud. Please, get her out!"

Cloud nodded and guided Aerith towards the door as the the green eyed brunette began to sob in earnest. Then he stepped back in and closed the door. He frowned in worry when Tifa fell to her knees besides the chair by the vanity and began to cry too. "Tifa, what happened?" he murmured, dropping to the floor next to her and pulling her to his chest.

Amidst sobs, she attempted to explain what had just happened and how the hardest part was up ahead. "I have to break up with him," Tifa murmured. "He'll come check on me in a few minutes, I'm sure. How am I going to do this, Cloud?"

Cloud ran his hands through her hair and made her eyes meet his. "You don't have to break things off with him. Aerith did wrong, and so did Zack, but you don't have to sacrifice your own happiness," he said seriously.

"How will I live with myself knowing that I'm keeping an innocent baby from having a family? I remember what it was like, growing up without my parents. Uncle Godo tried, but he couldn't fill in for both my mother and father. I can't force this onto someone who didn't ask to come into this world," she whispered, tears flowing freely from her eyes.

"Dry your eyes and gather courage. He'll come looking for you and we will give him a show," said Cloud, hating seeing Tifa in so much pain. But he would help her because it was what she wanted.

He walked her into the restroom and watched as she washed her face free of make-up and then tried to cover the puffiness around her eyes and her red nose as quickly as she could. When she was done, they stepped out of the bathroom and waited. "Just follow my lead and we will go from there. Okay?"

Tifa nodded and began to protest when Cloud maneuvered her to stand with her back to the door so that it looked like they were kissing. "Do you want him to think that we're together?"

She nodded. "I think it's the best we can work with now," she whispered, her eyes watering.

"Don't cry," he pleaded, but his words were cut short when the door opened and he quickly pressed his lips to hers and smoothed his hands up her arms. Then they broke apart and turned to the door, wide-eyed, and feigning shock at having been caught doing something inappropriate.

Zack's eyes were wide, and behind him, so were Yuffie's. "What the fuck?" he yelled, at his limit of ridiculous situations for the night. "What were you doing kissing him, Tifa?"

Tifa gathered her resolve and her strength for the hardest thing she would ever have to do. She smiled sadly and moved to stop Zack when he tried to move forward to possibly kill Cloud. "We both know that you and I aren't meant to be," she said gently. "I thought I loved you, but I... I don't love you as much as I love Cloud. He finally made up his damned mind and has offered me a life away from here. I've decided to go with him."

Zack shook his head and gripped her arms, not enough to hurt, but enough for her to not move away with his strength. "What are you saying? You can't do this to me," he growled out quietly.

"Tifa, I'll wait for you outside," said Cloud, walking Yuffie out and shutting the door after him.

Tifa's eyes followed him and she momentarily closed her eyes when Zack shook her to get her attention again. "I'm sorry," she said honestly, but the knowledge that he would have a baby with another woman was weighing heavily in her heart. "I love Cloud. I've loved him since I was a teenager. He's..." she trailed off, not knowing how to continue breaking his heart.

Zack mistook her silence as her not being able to put her feelings for Cloud into words. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He released her and stood there with his arms hanging limply at his sides, his usually bright eyes, dull. Then he shook his head in disbelief. "Doesn't my love for you count at all? Don't you care?"

_Do you care about this baby you're having with Aerith? _She asked herself silently. Even now he wasn't bothering to tell her that he had gotten another woman pregnant, no matter that most of it hadn't been his fault. "It does matter," she said quietly.

"We were supposed to get married tomorrow. You'll throw it all away for a man who wasn't man enough to fight for you before?" Zack asked angrily.

Tifa looked away from the hurt in his eyes and felt the tears pressing at her eyes. She didn't know how long it would be before she broke apart again and she couldn't afford to do it in front of Zack either. She sighed shakily. "Well, he's doing it now, and that's what matters to me. I'm sorry Zack, but as of this moment," she said, sliding off her engagement ring, "You and I are officially over."

Zack shook his head and wouldn't take the ring. "Keep it. So that in the future, you can remember that fool that would've given his life for you and who you dumped a day before the wedding," he spat before turning and marching out of the room, slamming the door after him.

Yuffie nearly ran in—a dangerous deed in the heels she was in—and was at her side in seconds. "You know already? About Aerith?"

Tifa nodded, staring blankly at the door. "Yes. How did you...?"

"I was there when Aerith told him a few minutes ago. Why did you break up with him?" Yuffie asked in confusion.

"That baby deserves a family, and I just gave him one. I can't... I can't be here. Can you talk to the guests and the press?" Tifa asked, her voice quiet.

"Maybe I should go home with you," Yuffie said, noting that Tifa would need a shoulder to cry on for the next few weeks.

Tifa shook her head. "I have Cloud to keep me company," she said as Cloud squeezed her hand in his. "Just... please do me this favor and then go home with Vincent."

Yuffie nodded and knew better than to argue. She walked out with them and watched as Tifa walked with dry eyes towards the valet for her car. Vincent was standing a small distance away with her father and Yuffie walked over to stand with them, explaining what had just happened. All she left out was the real reason why they had broken up. Old Godo didn't need to know _everything_. "Is she sure that she's doing the right thing? She looked in love, and happy. How can she drop everything so suddenly for Cloud?" Godo asked, not comprehending the situation at all.

"Dad, it was Tifa's decision. We can't... we can't judge her for what she's doing. We don't know everything that may have happened," Yuffie said softly, feeling her own tears build in her eyes. She knew only a fraction of the pain Tifa was probably feeling at the moment, and she wished she could've been with her, but she could give her sister the time alone she needed.

"Go home, daughter. I will handle the guests and the media," Godo said, rubbing her cheek and then patting Vincent on the shoulder. "Take my daughter home, please."

Vincent nodded and guided Yuffie away after she hugged and thanked her father for what he would do. When they were in the car, she let out a small sigh and explained things to Vincent. He just frowned and listened, his worry for Zack growing by the minute. Once home, he pulled off his coat and tie and turned to Yuffie as she began to wipe the make-up from her face. "You should probably go look for Zack," she said quietly.

"I will more than likely find him in a bar," he said, moving to wrap his arms around her from behind. He kissed the side of her neck and nearly folded his entire frame around her.

"Remember you promised not to say a thing. Tifa knows what she's doing," Yuffie said, meeting his gaze in the mirror. "No matter how much it's killing them right now."

Vincent turned her in his arms to kiss her. "Don't wait up for me," he murmured as he pulled away.

"Okay," Yuffie said, stepping back. "If you're not back by morning, I'll be with Tifa."

Vincent nodded and grabbed his keys and phone before walking away. Yuffie sighed heavily and sat down on the end of the bed. Her heart was aching for both Tifa and Zack, but her cousin was her main worry. She couldn't even imagine what Tifa was feeling at the moment, but she would see her in the morning. Unfortunately for Yuffie, sleep wasn't an easy thing to come by that night, and she sat in bed, watching the TV until moon was high in the night sky.

………

Cloud stared in worry as Tifa lay on her side, staring at his chest, unmoving and unblinking. He had convinced her to change out of her dress and into a pair of over sized sweats and an old jersey that was fading and had been a gift from her very first boyfriend. "You should let it out," he murmured after nearly thirty minutes of silence, and of laying side by side on her old bed.

Tifa blinked and looked at him, a tear sliding from the corner of her eye and falling into her hair. "Do you love me?" she asked softly.

Cloud nodded. "But I've been learning to let go, little by little. You were happy, and I knew then that you and I weren't meant to be," he said seriously.

Before either of them could blink, Tifa leaned forward and kissed him. Cloud responded for only a second before he pushed gently at her shoulders. Tifa clung to him and slipped a leg over his side to straddle him as she pushed him onto his back. "Don't, Tifa," he said, pushing her away more forcefully. Tifa stopped and stared at him, then she slumped against his chest and Cloud felt hot tears trail down his neck as she clung to him. It hurt him to see such a usually strong and passionate girl like Tifa so brokenhearted. He would've given anything for her to not feel the pain she was feeling.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, voice broken.

"It's okay," he replied, rubbing her hair and kissing her forehead. "It'll be okay. With time."

Cloud moved back to his side and hugged her to him as her body continued to shake with her silent sobs. He would be there for her as long as she needed him. The farthest thing from his mind at the moment were his own feelings for her. He had a distinct impression that Tifa would never stop loving Zack and that thought didn't hurt as much as it would've before. And for that, he was thankful.

………

Vincent found Zack in his apartment, sitting on his couch and staring at the blank screen of the TV while he held a bottle of tequila loosely in his hand. His eyes darted to Vincent as he used the spare key to enter, before they went back to staring ahead. Vincent turned on the lights and didn't apologize when he saw Zack wince when the glare of light hit his eyes. How long had he been sitting and drinking alone in the dark? "Leave me alone, Vince," Zack said before taking a gulp straight from the bottle.

"I'm just here to make sure you don't slit your wrists while you're alone," said Vincent calmly, taking a seat next to him, but a considerable distance away.

They fell into silence again that was thick with Zack's sorrow. "She left me for another man," said Zack a while later. "I... _fuck_... I got another woman pregnant and Tifa left me for another man." Another gulp. It had stopped burning his throat three gulps back.

Vincent sighed quietly and could only offer Zack someone to listen to him and who offered him friendship when he needed it. Zack would hate him and curse him if he ever found out that he knew why Tifa had really broken up with him, but Yuffie had trusted him; it was a tough choice between the man he considered his best friend, and the woman he was beginning to love.

"How am I gonna live without her?" asked Zack, voice slurring a little. Vincent had to wonder if the bottle had been full when his friend had started on it. It was now less than half-full and he knew that Zack was one of those with high tolerance for alcohol. "How am I gonna wake up in the fuckin' morning and not see her face, or her eyes, or her smile?"

Though he wasn't the type of man who thought that crying was for sissies, it still made him uncomfortable, and he had never been good at giving comfort. Giving pain had been more than easy, but how could he be a good friend if he chickened out while his best friend needed him? "You move on. You have a child who will require your time and your love. No matter who his or her mother is. Take refuge in this little person who will arrive to give you a reason to be the best you can be," said Vincent quietly, after gathering his thoughts.

"Shit," said Zack with a chortle. "How much did it take you to say that?"

Vincent smirked and shrugged. "I have my moments when I'm not a total asshole," he replied.

Zack let out a chuckle that trailed off into something alarmingly resembling a sob. To his credit, Vincent said nothing and did not tease. They sat there for a long moment, or until Zack passed out and Vincent made sure that he was completely out. He got the other man to his feet and almost dragged him to his room. Though Vincent had strength—despite his lanky appearance—and he worked out, Zack was about three inches taller than he was, and had more muscle on his tall frame. He deposited the other man on his bed and threw a blanket over him before walking back outside.

Moving to grab a glass from the kitchen, he poured himself a drink and sat in the darkness of Zack's living room, wondering what would happen to his friend now.

………

As expected, the media went crazy with the sudden break-up between Zack and Tifa. They hounded her when she attempted to leave her apartment, and they followed Zack wherever he went just to see if they could catch a glimpse of either of them with other people. Rumors of cheating were involved in most reports, but no one was saying anything, and the reporters were left to speculate.

The news had already hit Rocket Town when Yuffie, Tifa, and Cloud arrived, but Shera had always been too respectful to ask, and Cid could clearly see the sad look in Tifa's eyes. They didn't ask questions.

After a few days of practicing, with Yuffie going back and forth from Midgar to Rocket Town so that Vincent wouldn't get suspicious, they found that they were ready and on schedule with the Shinra heist. Despite the fact that she was still hurting, and that Zack hadn't even tried to contact her after she had broken his heart, Tifa's brain could work clearly for the job up ahead.

"This job doesn't feel right," Tifa whispered to Cloud, as they stood together, gazing at the sun setting, back in their apartment in Midgar. "I have a bad feeling, and you know I rarely get those. The last time I got a bad feeling, Yuffie got shot."

"Have you told her?" Cloud asked.

Tifa shook her head. "No, but I think she feels it too. She just... won't cancel after all the practice and time we've put into this thing," she replied. Yuffie stepped into the apartment and walked over to them, a scowl on her face. "What's going on?" Tifa asked in worry.

"Oh nothing, just the fact that on the last few business trips, Vincent has been seen with Lucrecia and he didn't even bother to tell me she would be there. Look at this," Yuffie hissed, handing over a handful of magazines with pictures of the two of them together.

Tifa's eyes were wide when she saw that Yuffie was right. There were various images of them together taken on different days and in different places. "Yuffie, you know that these are always fixed up to seem like the worst possible situation. You need to talk to Vincent about it," she said seriously.

"Yeah, well, that would work only if I was able to find out where this asshole went! He's not home and he's not at the office. Where the fuck do you think he is?" Yuffie asked angrily.

"You think he's with her?" Cloud asked.

"Give the blond a prize!" Yuffie yelled.

"Hey, don't take it out on me!" he snapped.

"Whatever. Sorry. I'm just really pissed and five thousand different scenarios are flashing in my brain," said Yuffie, pacing around the living room.

"Yuffie, maybe we should postpone the Shinra heist until a few days from now," Tifa said.

The ninja shook her head. "We can't do that and you know it. We will proceed as scheduled tonight. Nothing can interfere. We only have this opening for months, because Shinra won't be in his home. We hit it tonight."

"I have a bad feeling," Tifa said abruptly.

"Don't jinx it Tifa. We can't go into this afraid of everything. A certain amount of fear is good, but too much will make us do too many mistakes. Get yourself together and you'll see that there's nothing to worry about," Yuffie said with conviction. She just wished she believed her own words.

…

When night fell, her cellphone had rang a total of ten times, and each time, Yuffie refused to answer. Let the bastard stew in his guilt. Cloud had left nearly two hours before to go pick up the chopper, while she and Tifa were left to gather their gear and prep for the heist. Looking down at herself, Yuffie nodded in satisfaction, dressed in all black, with a vest containing various of her weapons and gear, she slipped a blade inside her right boot. Her mini computer went into a side satchel, where there was a mask she would pull on in the chopper.

When she stepped out of her old bedroom, sliding on some gloves, she nearly screamed when she saw Vincent standing in the living room. His eyes narrowed when he noted the way she was dressed, and the fact that Tifa—who was right behind her—seemed to be dressed the same way too. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked quietly.

"Where do you think?" Yuffie snarked.

"I called you many times and you didn't answer," Vincent said, watching as she and Tifa shared a look and the other woman grabbed a small duffel bag before leaving the apartment.

"I looked for you too, but I couldn't seem to find you. Where were you, Vincent?" she asked him, eyes narrowed and head cocked to the side. "How did you get in here?"

Vincent ingored her last question. "I was in a meeting all day. We were pulled into it at the last minute. You can ask various people if you don't believe me," he replied.

"Was Lucrecia there?"

"Yes."

Yuffie nodded. "Was she there at all your business trips too?"

"Yes. I've seen the articles. They are not true."

"Why didn't you tell me she would be there? You know that I don't demand to know many things from you, but when it comes to Lucrecia, you_ know _how much it is that I dislike her and don't trust her. We were getting along so well, Vincent. Why keep this from me?" Yuffie asked, pointing to the magazines sitting on the coffee table.

"You asked me to believe in you when the media made a scandal out of what happened at the theatre. Why won't you believe that now, if it's the same situation?" he asked her.

"Because we've been distant since Tifa broke up with Zack. We're on opposite sides here. I will always, always side with Tifa. You will side with Zack because he is the closest thing to a family that you have. I understand, but it's still driving a wedge between us. Now I find out that the last few business meetings you went on included Lucrecia and you didn't even bother to tell me that she would be there. Tell me, what am I supposed to think?" Yuffie asked him darkly.

"You're supposed to believe _me._ The same way you've asked me to believe you," said Vincent seriously.

The watch on Yuffie's wrist beeped and she gave it a brief look. "I'm on my way out. We can finish this when I come back," she said, moving towards the door.

Vincent stopped her and forcefully turned her around. "Something doesn't feel right," he said. "Don't go to this Yuffie. I have a feeling that we will not fix anything if you go now."

"I know what I'm doing Vincent. Let go of me. We will talk when I come back," she said slowly, staring into his eyes, challenging him. He released her arm and followed her as she walked out of the apartment. "I'll be okay," she said, because she knew he would be worried, even more now that they had learned to care for each other.

Vincent said nothing, and the door to the elevator opened. He stepped in, but Yuffie stayed outside. Just as the doors were closing, her eyes met his and something—a feeling he had never felt in his heart before—made him speak before he could think it through. "I love _you_," he said before the doors closed completely.

Yuffie stared and blinked at the closed doors. Had she heard correctly? "Fucking idiot," she hissed out loud. Then she smiled as she raced up the stairs and to the roof, where Cloud was waiting. She had to get the job done quickly in order to return and tell him that maybe she loved him too.

………

The halls of Shinra Manor were deserted, the system was down, and the security guards were out, thanks to some nifty sleeping gas that just happened to be a personal recipe of Cid's. Yuffie had expected to meet some type of maid along the way, but Shinra had probably given them the day off, since he wouldn't return from Kalm until the weekend was over. Hmm... maybe he wasn't a total ass, but she was thankful. Now she would be able to do her job in peace.

"Maybe we should take some art pieces while we're here," she whispered.

"Negative White Rabbit. Paintings and artwork are wired with a different security system. Touch anything aside from the safe and the cops will swarm us quicker than it takes to sneeze," said Tifa.

"Pfft, the artwork is tacky anyway," she said as she slipped into the office, remembering the way, even in the dark. Shinra hadn't been as obvious as to put a safe behind a painting, or behind a bookcase. No, he had tried to be smart and put it right into the floor under his chair. Though it proved to be harder to access, it wasn't exactly the most obvious place where common thieves would find it. Though for the princess of thieves, it was a piece of cake.

Pushing the chair back, Yuffie kneeled and took out her computer as Tifa scanned the safe from the outside of the house. Cloud was keeping guard in the chopper, hovering right above them. He would know if any trips were activated. The ninja was about to try opening the floor when something caught her attention. The window right in her line of sight was open. Rufus Shinra didn't strike her as the type of man who would forget a window and leave it open right before he went on vacation, no matter that he had state of the art security.

"Something is wrong," said Yuffie softly, her eyes darting around.

Tifa frowned at her computer and shook her head. "There's no one in the building and security is down. Just hurry and let's get out of here," she said.

"The window is open," said Yuffie.

"What does it matter?" Tifa asked impatiently.

"It means someone was here. Rufus Shinra wouldn't leave his window open." She paused and Tifa checked her progress on her own computer.

"Hook up your computer to the safe now, and then cut the wires," Tifa reminded. The scans of the mansion showed no other movement, but the feeling she'd had earlier came ten times worse. "Yuffie?"

"I've got it. I'm in," Yuffie said quietly. There was silence for a few minutes as Yuffie moved into the safe. "Shit! Run, Teef!" She yelled, forgetting their code names for the moment. "Get as far away from the fucking house as you can. You too Cloud, clear out!" she yelled.

"Got it. What the hell is going on?" asked Cloud loudly, listening as Yuffie grunted and watching as Tifa began to move away from the mansion.

Tifa pulled her computer from the system and began to run, asking questions as she went. "What's going on?" she asked urgently. "Yuffie?! Answer me!"

The only answer she received seconds later was an explosion that rocked the ground and engulfed Shinra Manor in flames.

...

...

...

...

...

So... yeah, um, the evilest cliffhanger ever, but I don't think it's too bad is it? I hope I wasn't too repetitive in ZackAerith and then TifaAerith's arguments. I read through them and took a few things out, but I was fairly happy with how things turned out, despite the angst. Okay, so you're all on the verge of killing me, I know, but I did like this chapter better than many others. I know there are many questions. Did Yuffie get out? Will Vincent ever get to say 'I love you' again? What about Zack? What about Sephiroth? Is Tifa really pregnant? What about Lucrecia? Why won't you shut up Val? Fine, but the next chapter should answer most questions, so be awesome readers and review for me, okay? Thanks! I just had to make an attempt to update on the last day of the year and I did it(throws confetti around)! Thank you so much for the reviews for last chapter, you've made my days happy and you've provided for good inspiration, especially you Aveira, you're a great writer and an even greater friend.

Last chapter was the longest I've written for this story—this one was close behind it—and also it had like a thousand typos and grammar mistakes. I've taken care of those, but I'm sorry if it threw your reading off. Hopefully this one isn't as bad, but I will reread it as many times as possible. I hope everyone has a great time and seriously, I wish everyone has a great year! Be safe and I'll see you all soon!

Joey


	22. Hurt

.............................

**Hurt**

.............................

"Yuffie? Yuffie?!" Tifa screamed, but there was nothing but static from where Yuffie should've answered. "Cloud!"

"I'm here. Tifa, we have to go, the cops will be here in minutes," he said urgently.

"But Yuffie! She's alive! She has to be!" she said, running towards the wreckage of the manor. She moved towards the direction the office had been and searched the pieces of debris. "Yuffie, please! Please be alive!" she called out, nearly cutting her hands as she tried turning over some sharp remains of a wall, or possibly of the safe.

"Tifa, the cops are coming!" Cloud yelled, a rope ladder landing next to her.

"I don't care!" Tifa screamed.

"We can cover up why she's here if she's found, but they'll search the chopper and the upgrades and our computers if they catch us. We won't be able to help Yuffie if we're all caught! Please, get up the ladder and let's go!" Cloud yelled.

Tifa let out an anguished sob and began to climb the rope ladder, the height and the wind brushing by her not bothering her in the least. Once inside the helicopter, she stared down at the wreckage and began to cry as she tried to search with her eyes. "How long before the helicopters get here?" she asked Cloud.

He looked stricken as well, and it helped her a little to see that he didn't want to leave either. "Less than three minutes."

"Can you circle once so that we can see if she's anywhere down there?" Tifa asked him, tears standing in her eyes.

Cloud sighed and nodded. "We'll be cutting it close, but keep an ear on the radio," he ordered as he steered the helicopter down and as close as he could to the wreckage. He shook his head. "There's nothing there, Tifa. We don't even know if she made it out. But if she did, she'd know to get away as fast as she can."

"But what if she's hurt? What if she's caught?" Tifa asked. The radio came through with reports of the police closing in. "We have to go," she reminded, feeling guilt consume her at the thought of Yuffie down there dying, or hurt and under the rubbish.

"She's okay, Tifa!" Cloud called as they began to fly away. "We have to think that she's okay," he said, squeezing her hand in his as Tifa pulled on the seatbelt.

"What if she's not?" Tifa asked softly. She grabbed her phone and dialed Vincent's number.

"What are you doing?" Cloud asked.

"Vincent has to help. He has to know that something happened and that Yuffie could be found down there and she could be taken into custody by the police. I'm positive he won't let her fall," Tifa said with conviction.

……………

Vincent couldn't help but feel worry gnawing at his gut. The feeling that had spurred him on to tell Yuffie that he loved her had been fear. He knew it now. He hadn't felt it in a very long time, and he had gotten the sense that if he hadn't told Yuffie then, he never would've been able to. Pacing the entirety of his office at home, he tried to get rid of the feeling in his chest.

He cursed to himself when he nearly jumped at the sound of his cell phone. Hoping that it was Yuffie, calling to brag about a job well done, he frowned when he saw Tifa's number instead. Opening the phone and placing it to his ear, he hoped to hear Yuffie's voice anyway.

"Vincent?"

"Tifa," he said calmly. There was no use jumping to any farfetched conclusions. "Where is Yuffie?"

"There was... there was an accident. I don't know what happened or if she's alive!" Tifa nearly wailed into his ear.

"Calm down and explain to me what happened in detail," Vincent said seriously.

"We were doing the job, and she got into the safe and then told us to run, to get away from the house as quickly as possible. The house exploded and I searched... I searched for her and I couldn't find her," Tifa said, trailing off into sniffles.

"Where was this job?" Silence. "Tifa? You must tell me where this job was."

"Shinra Manor," Tifa murmured.

"You targeted Shinra?" Vincent asked slowly.

"We didn't think he would bomb his own home as a form of security!" Tifa yelled.

"Calm down," he said coolly, though inside his heart was threatening to explode. "I will call a source I have inside the police and I will let you know."

"Even if she..." she choked.

Vincent felt his stomach drop to his feet, but he couldn't bring himself to believe that Yuffie was dead. He shook his head to himself. "I will call you when I get news," he said before closing his phone. His brain was refusing to accept the possibility that Yuffie might be... that she could be... gone. "You don't get to die on me, Yuffie," he hissed into the darkness. Standing, he grabbed his coat and made his way out of his home. He had many people to call.

………

Godo knew it in his gut. Something was wrong with Yuffie because Valentine wouldn't have called him so late and asked him to meet him at his home. Something was very wrong. Clutching his coat closed as he exited his car and nearly ran to the door of Vincent's home, he knocked and waited impatiently. A maid opened and led him towards the sitting room where Tifa and Cloud were sitting. His niece was covered in soot and dressed in all black, but Yuffie was nowhere in sight.

"What is going on?" he asked seriously, staring at Tifa and the tears already dried on her face. His worry only intensified.

Vincent stepped into the room, looking a little hollow and paler than was normal for him. He motioned for Godo to take a seat, but he remained standing. "Maybe you should explain to your uncle what you were doing," he said to Tifa.

She looked at them both with wide eyes as she squeezed Cloud's hand in hers. She cleared her throat and looked at him--the man who had been her father for years--in the eyes. "We were trying to steal something from Shinra. We... something went wrong and the house exploded. Yuffie just warned us to get away. We don't know what happened to her. I know she's not dead, uncle Godo! She's not!" Tifa explained, tears trailing down her eyes again.

Godo stared at her in disbelief and noted the look on Cloud's face as well. It couldn't be. His beloved, pain in the ass, beautiful daughter couldn't be gone. No. "Was a body found?" he asked Vincent.

He shook his head. "I have contacts in the police. No bodies were found yet. They are investigating the remains as we speak. All that were found were the unconscious guards at a distance from the Manor. I'd like to think that Yuffie is alive," he said in an even tone.

"Don't show too much emotion," Tifa bit out acidly.

"You do not know how I feel. I would suggest you keep silent. Both of you are just as responsible for this as Yuffie was," Vincent said, beating her tone with a cold one.

Tifa's eyes filled with tears and she shook her head. "She's not dead."

Godo stared at his hands. "Her body has not been found. If she is not... dead," he choked out. "She would've shown herself by now." He looked at Vincent. "What are we going to do?"

"Continue searching for her," Vincent said seriously.

"What if we don't find her?" Cloud asked quietly.

Godo turned a glare on him and Tifa both and tried his best to remain calm. He couldn't resign himself to believe that he had lost his only daughter. "I want to hear nothing out of you two."

Tifa frowned. "But uncle Godo—"

"No!" he yelled. "I will not place blame on just the both of you. Yuffie knew exactly what she was doing, and you both followed her in every farfetched scheme she came up with. You're all guilty. I have raised you like my own, Tifa. Even you Strife. I expected better from the three of you, but if Yuffie is truly gone, this will forever be on _your_ shoulders," he said before turning to go. He looked at Vincent. "If we don't find her body... make sure to... find a way for her to rest in peace," he said before beginning to walk away, his eyes suspiciously glassy.

Tifa stood and looked at Vincent, her own eyes still filled with tears. "We planned carefully. Something happened because Yuffie said that a window had been left open. Now that I have a clearer mind to look at this, I don't think that Shinra would've bombed his own home."

"You think someone else planned the explosion?" Vincent asked.

Cloud nodded. "It must've been something state of the art. We didn't get it in our scans of the house before we went in, and we have a computer system that can let us know about the potential trips and dangerous devices."

Vincent just nodded. "I would like to be alone. If I get any news, I will let you know as soon as I can."

"I'm sorry about what I said," Tifa said, not missing the pain filled look in his eyes.

"Maybe we should resign ourselves to bad news," Vincent said quietly, looking away from her. "I will search for her. I will not give up, but we will have to give an explanation as to where she is if we do not find her soon."

Tifa sniffled and nodded. "Create news on her dying in a car crash. I know you have the power to do it. We'll keep looking, but uncle Godo is right. If she were okay, she would've contacted us by now. We have ways," she said softly.

Vincent just nodded once and didn't watch them as they left. He swallowed hard and made sure they were gone before his grief took over him. The pieces of art closest to him hit the walls and shattered, the vase sitting on the low coffee table crashed against a piano he had purchased for Yuffie just a few months before. He didn't stop even when Elmyra tried to stop him and make him calm down. He moved on and trashed his office, but when he came to the materia that Yuffie had given back, and which was sitting in its old case, he paused and couldn't bring himself to continue destroying things that had become Yuffie's as well.

He fell to his knees, breathing hard, and then sat with his back against the wall, his eyes staring blankly at the destruction he had caused. He couldn't even make himself care about the priceless art he had destroyed. Not when he had lost that which had been his most prized possession. No, not a possession. The woman he had come to love would be insulted if she had heard him call her a possession.

Running a hand through his hair roughly, he resigned himself to the fact that they probably wouldn't find Yuffie alive and well. His heart was in pieces, and she had left him cold and alone, but at least she had gone with the knowledge that he had loved her. The only thing that pained him just as much as losing her was not knowing if she had felt the same way.

………

After a week of searching the wreckage for any survivors or bodies, the police concluded that no one had been killed in the blast. Yuffie did not turn up anywhere and Vincent and Godo made the preparations to declare her dead. Tifa had been feeling under the weather—as her uncle Godo had always said whenever they were sick—for the past few days. She attributed her little symptoms to missing Yuffie and not being able to accept that she was gone.

At the fake funeral, _because there was no body in the casket they were mourning,_she accepted the condolences with a flat tone. The only moment when she heard her voice shake, was when Zack offered her a few words of sorry and looked at her with those blue eyes she had come to love more than anything. They had stared at each other until Aerith had approached them and had tried to speak to her. Tifa had merely walked away. Her uncle Godo hadn't spoken to her in days, and it hurt more than she wanted to admit. He was staring, dry eyed at the various white roses around Yuffie's fake grave.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Cloud asked her softly.

"Yuffie's not dead. I just... I don't feel it in my heart. She's somewhere out there, and she's probably hurt and that's why we haven't heard from her. She can't be dead," Tifa told him quietly.

Cloud just nodded. Tifa had a point, but how could Yuffie had gotten out in time to get away safely from the blast? Where was she? Shouldn't have someone reported her to the police if they had found her hurt? Here face had been on newspapers, the news, and magazines once Vincent had provided the news of the fake accident where Yuffie had died, shouldn't have someone recognized her by now? Cloud sighed to himself as they stood in the graveyard, watching an empty casket being lowered into the ground.

His eyes narrowed when he looked up and saw that Zack was watching Tifa carefully, completely ignoring Aerith, who was standing at his side. Just to spite him for hurting Tifa, Cloud took her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles, noting the glare on Zack's face. Tifa sighed and just shook her head, having watched the whole little interlude. "Stop it," she said to Cloud softly.

"He needs to see some sign that we _are_ together," Cloud replied.

Tifa looked at Zack and just turned away when her eyes slid to Aerith, who had her hand on her stomach, as if to protect the small life inside. It hurt. It hurt so much to see them together, expecting a baby. She and Zack had been so close to getting married, and then Aerith had come along to wreck everything with two little words that would have such a big impact in their lives. Tifa rubbed at her eyes and gripped Cloud's arms when she felt her vision blur a bit.

"Are you okay?" Cloud murmured in worry.

"Yeah," Tifa replied, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. The rest of the fake burial didn't last long, and she and Cloud began to walk away. "I'm thinking about moving to Wutai. We can search there too. Maybe Yuffie is in hiding," she said quietly.

"Teef..."

"Don't say it Cloud. She's alive. I just feel like I need a change of air and scenery," she said, looking towards Zack and Aerith as they placed some white roses over the empty grave.

"I'll go with you," he offered.

"You don't have to," Tifa replied.

"You're all I have in this world. Besides, I think I need to get away from Midgar for a while too," Cloud said, putting his hands in his pocket.

Tifa nodded and hugged him, smiling when he slipped one hand out of his pocket to pat her—still a little awkward—on her back. "We'll stick together and continue looking for that stubborn ninja."

"Yeah," Tifa said with a sad smile. Now though, she didn't have just Yuffie to worry about—because Yuffie was still _alive_—but she couldn't stop thinking about her last night with Zack. Of how foolish she had been to think that everything would be perfect. That having a baby so soon would've been perfect. Everything was far from perfect, but if she was indeed pregnant, at least she would have her light at the end of a very dark tunnel. It was another reason why she had been thinking of moving to Wutai.

"Tifa?"

She paused on her way to her car and Cloud looked at her. The blond shot Zack a look before continuing to walk away. Tifa turned to look at Zack, her eyes a little red and looking paler than usual. "Shouldn't you be leaving?"

"I needed to talk to you," Zack said seriously. "I... geez... can you look me in the eye and tell me that you don't love me anymore?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I don't have time for this. Cloud is waiting for me," she said impatiently, turning to go.

"I want to hate you for doing this to me," he murmured, making her stop. "But I can't. I love you more than I ever loved anyone. Even when you left me for some other guy."

Tifa felt like slapping him for his words. "How's Aerith?" she asked, giving him an angry look.

Zack swallowed hard and looked away from her eyes, the color of red wine. "She's pregnant," he said quietly.

"Really?" Tifa asked, forcing herself to keep a dry tone. She needed to keep up the facade of the uncaring girl who had left him for another man. Otherwise he'd see right through her lie. "You don't waste time, do you?"

Zack sighed. "There's something I need to tell you about her pregnancy."

She shook her head. "I don't care, Zack. I know that you got her pregnant while you were with me. That's one of the reasons why I decided to go back to Cloud. It was obvious you didn't love me either, so it was easier to back down and go back to the man who will love only _me_," she said before turning and walking away.

Zack missed her tears and only saw her head held high as she walked up to Cloud and kissed him. He couldn't believe it. How had she known about Aerith and the baby? What had he done to deserve all this? Tifa had seemed truly in love with him and she had been happy. Could it be that she was acting this way because she had found out about him getting Aerith pregnant? That it was all a ploy to make him feel even more guilty because she was hurting?

"Zack, we should go. I'm not feeling too well," Aerith said from behind him.

"Did you tell Tifa that you were pregnant before you told me?" Zack asked softly, his eyes on his ex-fiancée as she got into her car with another man.

Aerith could hear Tifa's words from a few weeks before echoing in her head. _He'll be free for you to make a move now, and don't bother telling him that I already know you're pregnant. He won't let me go if you do. _"No," she said, guilt consuming her heart. "I don't know how she found out. Maybe Yuffie told her?"

"I hope so Aerith. I don't want to find out some day that she broke up with me because you asked her to. I would've taken care of you and the baby even if I had married Tifa. I would've taken my responsibilities no matter what," he said quietly.

She nodded and bit her lip to keep from telling him the entire truth. Tifa hated her enough to last them both a lifetime, but she had sacrificed herself for the sake of her baby. The least the could do was honor Tifa's wishes, even if that meant watching Zack be heartbroken. Once the baby was born, hopefully it would be enough for Zack to resign himself.

………

Standing in what had been his and Yuffie's bedroom, Vincent took one last look at Yuffie's things, her clothing in his closet, the little pieces of her that had made _his_ bedroom _theirs_, he shook his head and vowed to never again step into the bedroom. It had been a month since the explosion at Shinra Manor, and no word from Yuffie had been heard. No clue or indication that she was still alive. He hadn't wanted to resign himself to the fact that she was gone, but after searching all the hospitals and clinics near the explosion site, Vincent had slowly begun to lose hope. Tifa and Cloud would leave for Wutai in a week, but even with Tifa's words and conviction that Yuffie was alive, Vincent couldn't bring himself to keep believing her.

Stepping out of the bedroom and closing the door, he passed by what would now be his new room, just down the hall. It was smaller, meant to be a guest room, but he couldn't be in close proximity with a place that still smelled like Yuffie, and that held all the small things she had loved. The one thing he truly valued that she had left behind was a piece of evidence that his contacts in the police had removed from the explosion site. It was sitting next to the materia and his Cerberus in a case of its own.

Yuffie's beloved shuriken still gleamed in the light, sharp and unblemished. He had had it cleaned, shined, and sharpened before having it set in its own glass case and pedestal. It was the least he could do to honor the memory of the woman he had loved and who he had hurt far more than anyone. He felt ashamed when he thought of how he had handled things with Yuffie, how he had treated her, but it was too late for regrets. All he had left of her were scraps of clothing that would soon lose her scent, memories of seeing her smile at him, or smirk, or assault him physically. He had taken her for granted and had lost her much too soon.

Vincent wondered briefly if this was what the universe had decided as his punishment for doing so many evil deeds in his teen and young adult years. He had done things without questioning them and without remorse. He had been truly good at what he did. It had all been okay until Yuffie had come along to teach him how to regret and fear again. How to love again. He had lost his one true salvation. What would he do without her now?

"Vincent?"

He turned from where he had been staring at the shuriken and realized that he hadn't even noticed that he had made it to his office. Turning towards the door, he stared blankly at Lucrecia. "How can I help you?" he asked in a monotone.

Lucrecia approached him slowly, eyes wide and a soft brown. "I'm so sorry about your wife, Vincent."

"You didn't even like her," Vincent muttered, looking away from the woman that had once upon a time meant the world to him.

"I know. But I would give anything so that you wouldn't have to feel this kind of pain," she said softly, reaching up hesitantly to touch his chest. When he didn't protest, she wrapped her arms around him and smiled slightly to herself as she listened to his steady heartbeat.

Vincent stared into space, his arms hanging limply at his sides and he tried to imagine what Yuffie would do if she walked through the door and saw Lucrecia hugging him. He smirked half-heartedly and shook his head, swallowing hard. "Thank you, Lucrecia," he said quietly.

"Of course," she replied, smoothing her hands up and down Vincent's back, trying to be comforting. "Would you mind if I stayed to have coffee with you?" she asked softly.

Vincent looked down at her and sighed before taking a step away. "Of course not," he said, motioning towards the door.

Smiling to herself, Lucrecia knew that she had found her opening. All she had to do was be patient. Vincent would be hers once more, if she waited.

…

Staring blankly at the sunflowers sitting in the middle of the breakfast table, Zack ignored the coffee sitting in front of him. It had become a habit of his to buy sunflowers every few days, just to see the smile on Tifa's face. Sunflowers had been her favorite flowers. He missed her. His life seemed so empty now that Tifa was gone, and Aerith had moved in. He also missed the way she slept with her face pressed to his stomach on most nights, or how his clothes always smelled like some sweet but not girly type of fabric softener. She had also always cooked deliciously, and she had bought him a set of pajamas that matched her eyes and bath salts he would miss and that he could remember her laughing at because she had caught him using them one night. Cloud had come by to pick up her things when only Aerith had been there, therefore saving them all a very tense meeting.

It hurt him in his heart to know that she was with someone else now, that she had dropped everything so easily when she had claimed to love him so deeply just hours before. He didn't even know why he kept torturing himself by keeping the little reminders of how it had felt like to live with her, to love her, to miss her. He looked up and dismissed Aerith when she stepped into the apartment, a few bags in her hand which looked to be from a baby store. He had brought Aerith to live with him because it seemed like the right thing to do in order to take care of her. There was just no way that he would marry her, and Elmyra had sure been angry about that bit, but Aerith had calmed her down. Zack still wasn't convinced that living with Aerith was the best idea, but they had a baby on the way, and he wanted to be a part of everything that Aerith went through.

"I bought a few things for the baby," she said. Zack just nodded and she approached him cautiously to place the bags in front of him. "Take a look."

Zack did so, because she expected it of him and felt his heart clench in his chest when he saw the tiny articles of clothing. They were neither blue or pink, but soft colors like green, yellow, and white. He could imagine a tiny person in them, wrapped in a blanket and in his arms. It was just that... he had always imagined that Tifa would be by his side, not Aerith. Still, he managed a small smile at the soft material and when Aerith showed him the tiniest pair of boots he had ever seen.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, noticing the pained look on his face. "I ruined your life."

He shook his head and noticed the red rim around the gentle green of hers. "Don't think about that now. You need to be healthy for our baby. I want you both to be happy and safe," he replied, his eyes inevitably moving back to the sunflowers.

Aerith followed his gaze and sighed. "You keep those as a reminder of Tifa, right?"

"I keep them because it became a habit. I won't bring them by anymore," he said, standing and throwing away his coffee.

"You don't have to do that," she said gently.

_Maybe I do_, Zack thought silently, running a hand through his hair. _I need to start letting her go. _"Let's talk about the baby. I think we should get started on the nursery and on taking a look at the nearby hospitals," he said, motioning her to the bedroom right next to hers.

Aerith didn't bother to argue the fact that the rooms were far away from his. He had asked her to live with him for the sake of their baby, but that somehow meant that he still wanted to keep the distance between them. He wasn't interested in sharing more with her than a few conversations and their baby.

Despite Tifa's sacrifice, Aerith didn't feel like she deserved to marry Zack under these circumstances, so she didn't push to close the distance between them. Maybe in the future something would change once the baby was born, but for now, she could feel Zack putting up distance and a wall between them. He wasn't looking to be tied to her with more than their baby, and she understood, but that didn't mean that it didn't hurt. It didn't matter though, she thought as she rubbed her very small stomach. She'd have her baby who would need all her love to be happy. She just hoped that Zack's smile returned once they were parents. Otherwise she wouldn't be able to live with the guilt that she had been the only person capable of breaking Zack Fair.

………

Wutai was a beautiful country. It was where she and Yuffie had been born, where her mother and uncle Godo had been born, and where a long line of Kisaragi's had been born and raised. Now would be no exception. The next descendant of a long line of ninjas was very much on the way and would be born in Wutai as a Lockhart—her father's last name. Laying on her side on the bed of her room in the house her uncle Godo had bought for her, Tifa smiled and smoothed her fingers over the rounded skin of her stomach.

She wasn't too far along, but by the calculations of her doctor, her baby had been conceived before the night she had broken up with Zack. She tried to recall the time before the last she had been with him without taking precautions, and Tifa realized that it had been the evening before his bachelor party. The same day he had been with Aerith. The irony was painful and it made her want to burst into tears, but the knowledge that she would at least have a small part of Zack with her always was well worth the pain.

Cloud stepped into her room after knocking and sighed when he saw the tears in her eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked her, gently running his fingers through her hair.

"I'm okay," she said with a sad smile. "I think I'll be okay now."

Cloud gave her a look when a few tears trailed down the corner of her eyes. "Why do I find that hard to believe?" he asked her as he brushed the droplets away.

"Cloud... I'm pregnant," Tifa said quietly.

He stared at her and then looked away, leaning his arms against his knees and staring at the carpeted floor. "Congratulations... I guess."

"Are _you_okay with that?" Tifa asked, moving to sit next to him so that their sides touched from shoulders to knees.

"I can't say that it doesn't bother me that you are now_ his_ in every way, but I'll get over it. I know you'll be happy, but... shouldn't you tell him?" Cloud asked her seriously.

Tifa shook her head. "He has started a new life with a woman who will give him another baby. It hurts, and you have no idea how much, but I'll have someone to take care of and who I will love and protect for the rest of my life. I'll get over it."

"No you won't," Cloud said, shaking his head.

"Are you getting over me?" Tifa asked quietly, peering at him.

Cloud turned to look at her and smiled slightly. "A little."

"Then I can do it too," Tifa said with a half-smile. "I just... I don't want you to think that I..."

"Don't worry, Tifa. I know that you and I will never be more than friends. Maybe friends with benefits, but that'll be after the baby," he said with a smirk.

Tifa managed to laugh and leaned her head against his shoulder. "My baby will need a father."

Cloud sighed, feeling his heart lighten a little. "Are you offering me the position?"

"Only if you're interested," said Tifa.

"The kid has a father." Tifa was silent. Cloud pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "But I'll be here for whatever you may both need. In any case, I'll be a good uncle," he said with a smile.

Tifa smiled and nodded. "I'll take that." She was quiet a little longer. "Thank you, Cloud. I really do wish that we could've been more, but the heart always goes down a different path than the brain," she muttered.

Cloud gave her a squeeze and pulled her to her feet as she stood. "How about we get something to eat?"

"Okay. But I get to pick!" Tifa said, perking up.

"No spicy food. You do remember that I resemble a lobster when I eat spicy," he said, drawing a laugh from her.

"Fine. No spicy," Tifa said as she grabbed her purse and followed him out the door. Her life didn't have to be a total loss. Besides, she had her baby to keep her occupied, and she hadn't given up on Yuffie. She was out there somewhere and would show herself when she was ready. Tifa was sure of it.

…………

There was nothing like waking up with a hangover. Except... she didn't remember what she had drank to end up with a hangover. Son of a fu—a groan of pain interrupted her inward cursing and she opened her eyes with some difficulty, wincing at the bright light above her.

The lights seemed to dim on their own, and when she tried again, it was easier to open her eyes, but the sick feeling in her stomach didn't go away. That was when an array of smells hit her nose, making her gag. She was laying in a bed with the itchy type of sheets the hospitals used, and the smell making her gag was that weird sterile type associated with hospitals too. "Where... where..." her voice was hoarse and raspy in her throat and her eyes darted around the dim lit room.

"You're finally awake... Miss Kisaragi," said an unknown voice from her left, where the dark was deeper.

Yuffie reached up to feel her head and found that it was wrapped in gauze. "What the hell happened?"

"You've been slow to heal the impact you suffered to the head, but I am glad you're awake."

"What happened? Who are you?"

"I am... an ally. I will not make the mistake of calling myself your friend just yet. We hardly know each other."

"Show yourself," she said, sitting up with difficulty. Her legs felt heavy, but she didn't feel as if she had been left incapacitated. It felt like little ants were walking up and down her legs.

"You asked what had happened. Do you not remember?"

"No. That's why I'm asking, smartass," she bit out.

"The explosion at Shinra Manor."

Yuffie's eyes widened when the memories hit her and made her gasp. "My friends. Did they make it?"

"They are safe."

"I'll ask you again. Where am I and who are you?"

He stepped forward into the light and all she could see for a moment was silver and green. "Why don't you ask me instead how long it's been?" he asked, staring her straight in the eyes.

Yuffie's mouth fell open slightly. "What? How long has it been?" she asked, feeling dread fill her chest.

He smiled, almost friendly. "You've been in a coma for nearly eight months."

...

...

...

...

...

Duhn, duhn, duhn. The plot thickens and we have so many things to get to in the next chapter. Was the man at the end who we think he is? What's happened to everyone else in the time that has passed? I promise it will all be worth reading, but I can't say more without giving it away. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, since it was easy to write, even with the loose ends and the slight angst. It was kinda like a filler chapter, but this one was also necessary. Thank you so much for reviewing, everyone, and for all the encouraging words. I have to go for now, but expect an update soon! Be safe!

Joey


	23. A Lily and A Rose

_Warning: Use of profanity._

.............................

**A Lily and A Rose**

.............................

"Eight months?" Yuffie gasped out, forcing herself to sit up. The painkillers had made her a little nauseous and her legs hurt, more than likely because they'd had no use in the past eight months. "You're fucking kidding me!" she yelled.

"I'm afraid I'm not. You needed time to heal. At least that's what the doctor said."

"Did you put the bomb in Shinra's house?" Yuffie spat. "You owe me eight months of my fucking life!" she screamed, hurling the pitcher of water at him. As soon as she did it though, her throat began to protest the rough treatment and she realized that she was thirsty.

"We didn't cause the explosion. We sat in the shadows and waited for you to arrive, but someone else was there before you. He planted the device," the man said.

Yuffie's hands closed into fists. "Where is my family?"

"Before I begin to tell you all that has happened in these months, I will answer your question about who I am." He said, walking towards the door and motioning in someone.

Yuffie's eyes narrowed when she saw two more men step into the room. They all looked very much like Sephiroth. "Are you related to Sephiroth or something?" she asked.

"I do believe that we are cousins. Our mother was his mother's sister," said the first man she had met. "My name is Kadaj, this is Yazoo," he said, motioning towards a slim man, with long silver hair, and the same eerie green eyes. "And this is Loz," he said, looking towards the taller of them, who had short hair and was more broad shouldered than the other two.

"Start explaining," Yuffie hissed.

"We took you from the wreckage before the police arrived. Your friends searched for you, but they would've gotten caught if they had stayed any longer. The blast threw you a great distance away and your head was injured. We took you to a private doctor in Midgar who asked no questions right after the explosion. Then when you were out of any serious danger, we transported you here to Wutai."

"Why?" Yuffie asked, confused. "Why not just let the police catch me?"

"We know who you truly are, Miss Kisaragi, or should I call you Mrs. Valentine? We've been watching your career very closely this last year," said Kadaj.

"How did you find out who I was?" Yuffie asked, still not believing them too much.

"We had a run in with you at a museum almost two years ago. You were shot if I remember correctly. The proof of that is in the form of that faded scar on your arm," said Yazoo. "You left blood behind and we cleaned it up and took it with us before the police had time to investigate it. That is how we found out who you truly are. It is an honor to meet you, Princess of Thieves."

Yuffie scowled and shook her head. "What did you get out of this?" she asked.

"It's not what we got, it's what we are _going to get. _We need your help with something. It was merely a coincidence that everyone believed you were dead. It worked better this way though. You needed time to heal and away from all the questions and the police," said Kadaj.

"I want to see my cousin and my friend," Yuffie said. "Otherwise, you can find yourself someone else to help you."

"You must be patient," said Yazoo, meeting her gaze steadily.

"My life has been on hold for eight months. You can stick 'being patient' where the sun don't shine," Yuffie snapped.

"You're in an awful rush to get back to a lide that didn't bother waiting for you," Loz muttered.

Yuffie's eyes narrowed at his tone. "What do you mean by that?"

"Will you help us?" Yazoo interupted. "You are the best. We want your help, and we rescued you from the police and from death, so it is an equal trade," said Yazoo.

"Tell me about Vincent," Yuffie said. She just had a feeling that there was something important she needed to know about him.

"Your husband? He didn't give up on you until very recently," said Loz.

Yuffie felt herself go cold. "Just tell me everything that has happened while I was 'dead'," she ordered.

"Maybe we should have our doctor check you first," Kadaj told her, motioning for Loz to go get the doctor.

"Tell me now, or I promise you, you will regret it." She was at the end of her rope and she had a bad feeling that she was about to get bad news regarding Vincent. Her head hurt and she was thirsty and she couldn't quite wrap her head around the fact that everyone thought she was dead. Whose body had they friggin' burried?

"Fine," Yazoo was the one who spoke. "Your two friends are here in Wutai. They left your father in Midgar with your husband. We have from a good source that he had evidence removed from the explosion site so that it wasn't trailed back to you. But..."

"But what?" Yuffie nearly screamed.

"It seems that he has already moved on. He laid you to rest, even though there wasn't a body for him to mourn. He is living with another woman now," Yazoo murmured.

"What?" Yuffie asked quietly, trying very hard to not yell. Mostly because she had a headache, but also because her throat was dry and she had always hated screaming.

"Yes. He is living with a... Lucrecia Crescent."

"Bullshit," Yuffie hissed.

"For your sake, I wish it was. There is something else, regarding your father. We don't know if it is of any importance," Yazoo said, looking at his brother.

She was too tired to ask, and her heart felt a void where Vincent had been. If the bastard had been stupid enough to go back to Lucrecia, even before a year of her supposed death had happened, he would be dead to her. She would return just to make his life miserable.

"Your father and your husband merged their companies. They have become one of the leading companies in Midgar," Kadaj said.

_So he got what he wanted, _Yuffie thought silently. "What do you want from me?"

"There is something that we need removed from a Shinra office in Junon. They are files that prove that Shinra was responsible for the burning of a small town many years ago," Kadaj said.

Something clicked in Yuffie's mind and she looked at them through narrowed eyes. "Were you the ones who hired us to steal from the safe?"

Yazoo nodded and paused when the doctor stepped into the room to examine her. Yuffie laid back in the bed and just nodded her head at everything the doctor explained to her. He told her that with a few weeks of physical therapy, her legs would be fine, and that her head injury had healed nicely on the outside, and that they needed to check to see if it had healed on the inside as well. Everything seemed like some bizarre dream and she was waiting for Tifa to step through the door to tell her to wake-up. Vincent was with Lucrecia? Everyone thought she was dead?

When the doctor finally left, Yuffie turned to Kadaj and gave him a serious look. "If I help you get these papers, I want my friends with me. They are the best, and the only chance I stand to get this done."

"I believe that your cousin would be too preoccupied to help," said Yazoo.

Yuffie's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why?"

Kadaj sighed. "In any case, my brothers and I can assist you. We have wide knowledge and we are ready."

"I want to see Tifa," Yuffie snapped. "If you don't take me to her, bring her here. Take it or leave it."

The brothers looked at each other and then finally nodded. "Fine. Will you wait until you have fully recovered or do you want to see them in the state you are in now?" Kadaj asked her seriously.

Yuffie sighed and clenched the sterile, white sheets of her bed. "I want to be able to walk again. Help me, and I will help you," she said tiredly.

Yazoo nodded and took her hand in his. "We mean you no harm, Miss Kisaragi. We just need help from the best, and you _are_ the best," he said before brushing his lips across her knuckles.

She narrowed her eyes at him and Snatched her hand out of his. "We'll see. Try to fuck me over, and you'll regret saving me from the police," she hissed.

Yazoo flashed her a smirk and stepped back before he and his brothers walked out of the room. Yuffie watched them go and barely blinked back the tears before the men were gone. What would she do now? She had no choice but to help these strangers because whether she liked it or not, they had saved her life and kept her from jail. She still wasn't entirely sure that they hadn't been the ones to plant the bomb, but they were the only ones who could help her get better and then get her back to Tifa. She had to consider Vincent dead from that moment on. She would never forgive him for going back to Lucrecia, especially after all she had done. And what about Hojo? What had he thought about his wife leaving him for his foster son?

"I see how deep your love for me was, Vincent. You're living with a woman and it hasn't even been a year since I supposedly died," Yuffie whispered to herself. She would never again believe any declaration of love from him. Upon her 'return to life,' she would cut any ties with Valentine and forget he ever existed. All she had to do was cut her heart out of her chest and move on with her life.

……………

Being pregnant had been an especially strange experience, Tifa mused. Aside from it being the miracle of life, it had been the most uncomfortable time of her life as well. The morning sickness had faded quickly, but the strange cravings hadn't. She had lived with feet in her ribs for the last few months and she needed to use the bathroom every five minutes. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen her feet, but Cloud always assured her that she was wearing matching shoes.

Rubbing a particularly itchy spot on her swollen stomach, Tifa smiled when she felt her baby hiccup from inside. Cloud had been a great support, but she couldn't help but feel guilt over keeping her child a secret from Zack. She had let him go in order for Aerith's child to have a family, but what about her baby? Cloud had been needling her for months because he thought that Zack deserved to know that he was having another child. Both babies deserved to have their father with them. Sniffling, Tifa sighed and stood with some difficulty from her seat and walked out to the balcony of her room.

As of now, her pregnancy had been kept a secret from the press, but Tifa knew that she wouldn't be able to keep her baby a secret once he or she was born. The last thing she needed was for Zack to find out that way. Tifa had a feeling that he would assume Cloud was the father of her baby if he were to find out from the media. She couldn't make up her mind, but ultimately, she did want the best for her baby, and having a father was one of the most important things her child would need.

The warm mornings in Wutai had always been her favorite since she had been a little girl. She hadn't known how much she had missed her country until they had moved back there. But it also served to remind her that she had lost three of the most important people in her life who had also loved Wutai. Her mother, her aunt, and Yuffie. Cloud knocked her door before peeking his head in, a plate of pancakes in his hand. "I even got the sugarless syrup," he said as he stepped in and handed her the plate.

Tifa smiled and looked at him. He was such a handsome man. It was just a shame that her heart had stayed in Midgar with Zack. "Thank you, Cloud. I was about to get up and go get breakfast myself."

"I know," he said with a shrug. "But I wanted you to avoid the trip. Didn't you say that you had been feeling more tired recently?" he asked worriedly.

"It's normal for the last few weeks of the pregnancy," she said with a light smile. "Don't worry so much about me."

Cloud reached over and squeezed her hand in his. "I'll always worry about you. You mean a lot to me."

Tifa was once more surprised by the similarity between Zack and Cloud's eyes. She shook her head and glanced down at the wonderful smelling pancakes. "I'm scared," she admitted before walking back into her room and sitting at the small table there.

"Of what?" Cloud asked, sitting on the arm of a sofa near the table.

"Of telling Zack that I'm pregnant and that he won't believe the baby is his. You remember what I said to him. What I made him do. He's probably worried about his and Aerith's baby, maybe I shouldn't add our child into the mix," Tifa said, taking a bite of pancake.

Cloud sighed and shook his head. "You're just waiting for me to tell you that it's okay for you to keep this child from him. I won't do that, even though I still feel like pounding his head in for getting another woman pregnant. Tifa, this is something that is going to affect you and your kid in the long run. How are you going to look him or her in the eye when your kid is older and he asks where his dad is? What will you say when he or she wants to know why you kept them from each other?"

Tifa felt tears fill her eyes and let out a shaky breath. "I don't want my baby or Zack to hate me," she murmured, pushing her hair behind her ear.

"Maybe we should go back so that you can tell him before you go into labor?" Cloud offered.

"I've been avoiding this the way I've been avoiding the possibility that Yuffie may really be gone," Tifa said, her breath catching in a sob.

Cloud stood and rubbed her shoulders gently, worried that the way she was feeling could possibly affect her and the baby. Though apart of him still wished that the baby she was having would've been his, his heart was learning to let go. It still hurt to see her so sad when all she had to do was return to Midgar and forgive the man she loved. He knew it was a lot to ask of her, especially when Zack had gotten another woman pregnant, but Cloud knew that Tifa wouldn't be truly happy until she and Zack were together again. "Maybe we should let her rest," Cloud said quietly.

"Yeah," Tifa whispered.

They both looked up when there was a knock on her door and a maid her uncle had hired stepped in. "Miss Tifa, there is a woman here to see you. She said you know her already and that you have been expecting her for many months."

"Did she give you a name?" Cloud asked.

"All the woman told me was to tell you that she was the White Rabbit."

Tifa's eyes grew wide and she rose to her feet quickly, quicker than she had been feeling the last few days, and turned to Cloud. "Do you think it's Yuffie?"

"We have to be cautious. It may be some sort of trap," he said with a frown.

"Well, don't just stand there, let's go!" Tifa said excitedly.

…

The home she was standing in was beautiful. It was a perfect mix of old and modern Wutain art and something very Tifa about the place. Though her legs weren't yet at one hundred percent, Yuffie had always been in top shape and she had practiced the therapy and her warming up exercises every single day since she had woken up in that blasted hospital. She still felt a bit stiff, but the doctor had told her that it was normal. She wouldn't be completely okay for a few more weeks.

Waiting patiently for her cousin and Cloud, Yuffie felt her heart beat quickly in her chest. To her, it felt like she had seen them only yesterday, but to Tifa and Cloud it had indeed been a little more than eight months. The silver haired trio had told her that they would await her recovery in Wutai until she was ready to repay her debt. Yuffie still wondered how they would use the information she would take from Shinra.

Looking up when she heard footsteps from the first floor to her left, Yuffie's eyes nearly popped out of her head when her eyes fell on Tifa. "Oh... sweet... Leviathan!" she whispered.

Tifa nearly bowled her over as she wrapped her arms around her. "Yuffie... is it really you?" she nearly sobbed.

Yuffie hugged her back just as tightly and as best she could around her cousin's midsection and looked at her in amazement, catching Cloud's eyes over Tifa's shoulder. "Yeah, I'm alive. But you're... you're—"

"Having a baby?" Cloud provided.

"And you're alive!" Tifa exclaimed. "We've been searching for you for months. I never gave up, but I was beginning to resign myself," she said with a sniffle. "You look so different with long hair," she commented, noticing the dark strands that fell below Yuffie's shoulders now. "You look more like auntie now."

Yuffie smiled painfully and nodded. "Come here, man," she snapped, hugging Cloud tightly. "It's me. I'm not dead."

"You don't know how happy that makes us," he whispered into her hair.

The ninja nodded and moved back, looking from one to the other. "So... is there something I should be aware of?" she asked, motioning to Tifa's large stomach.

Tifa laughed lightly and shook her head. "Zack," she murmured.

Yuffie's eyes widened. "Does he know?"

"No."

Yuffie didn't know if she wanted to pry, though before her accident she would've. Now, she felt as if she had been gone for years and she needed to get to know her cousin—who had always been her sister truly—and her friend once more. "I guess we have a lot to talk about, don't we?" she asked softly.

Tifa began to nod but then froze when she felt a twinge in her stomach. "Hold that thought," she said, her face tensing with pain.

"Are you in labor?" Cloud asked anxiously.

"What? You're nine months already?" Yuffie exclaimed.

"Just about," Tifa said, taking a few deep breaths. "I've been having discomfort since last night, but right now it's really starting to hurt."

"Should we go to the hospital?" Cloud asked, leading her over to a chair so that she could sit down.

Tifa swallowed hard and shook her head. "I don't know. Let's wait and see how far apart the contractions are. My doctor said that this could take a while." She turned to Yuffie and motioned for her to sit. She looked so different. Yuffie looked haunted and nothing like the young woman that had disappeared eight months ago. Tifa was sure that the explosion had done something to her. It felt like she had lost her cheerful cousin and a strange woman had been returned to her. "First we need to talk about a few things that have been going on."

Yuffie sighed and nodded. "I know most of them," she said, staring Tifa in the eye. "I know about Vincent, about my father's company, and about the fact that everyone thinks I'm dead."

"Who told you all this?" Tifa asked with a frown.

"The men who found me," Yuffie said. "I was in a coma for about eight months, give or take a few days. These guys took me from the wreckage before the police could get me and they were watching over me all this time."

"What do they want?" Cloud asked quietly. Yuffie explained to them all that Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo had said to her after she had woken up and waited patiently for their opinions. "You don't think that they were the ones who put the bomb in the safe?"

Yuffie shrugged. "I don't know. Yazoo told me that there is a way of identifying a bomb. That the maker always leaves behind a signature, and this Yazoo guy just happens to know a lot about explosives. It still makes me wonder if they're playing me, but they saved my life."

Tifa let out a breath and rubbed at her hardening stomach. "You're going to help them, then?"

Yuffie nodded and shared a worried look with Cloud. "Yeah. First I need to recover completely and then I'll help them."

"Will you return to Midgar?" Cloud asked her.

"You mean... will I see Vincent again?" Yuffie asked darkly. "Yeah. I'll see him again, but on my own terms. He's going to pay for all that he's done to me."

"You know," Tifa started, wincing slightly at the pain. "There's something those men left out of the explanation."

"What?" Yuffie asked curiously.

"Hojo is dead," Cloud said.

Yuffie blinked in shock and she suddenly knew why it had been so easy for Vincent and Lucrecia to get together. "How did he die?"

Tifa gave her a look. "He died in a plane crash a few weeks after your accident."

Yuffie sat back and didn't know how to explain that she didn't believe the accident had been just that, an accident. She had a strange feeling and she had learned to trust her instincts when it came to life and death situations. "We'll need to make our own investigation," she murmured.

"We can do that later. Right now I think we need to get to the hospital!" Tifa exclaimed.

………

Another sleepless night, sitting in the dark and thinking of a love he had lost and would never have again. Zack sighed to himself and stared up at the skylight in his ceiling. It had been one of the reasons why Tifa had wanted them to get the apartment. Rubbing a hand across his tired features, he muttered to himself about being a stupid, heartbroken fool. But he couldn't help himself. He still loved her with all this stupid, moronic heart and he had a feeling it would be that way for a long time. The last few months had been filled with preparations for his and Aerith's baby girl, and that had at least served as a distraction. The thought of his little girl brought a smile to his face and a warm feeling to his heart.

Aerith had asked him if he had wanted to know the sex of their baby, and he had. From that moment on, some of the sadness he felt had lifted with thoughts and hopes for the future. Any day now he would be able to finally hold a tiny piece of himself in his arms. Until then though, half of his thoughts would remain with Tifa. Sitting up in bed, he sighed and stood, walking off towards the kitchen to get something to drink. He blinked into the sudden light when he saw that Aerith was up and about. "Can't sleep?" Zack asked her.

Aerith let out a breath. "I think I may be in labor," she replied.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" Zack asked her in worry.

"Because I thought you were resting," she said, her green eyes shining in the light.

He hugged her gently and helped her take a seat. "Wait here and I'll get our things," he said before darting off to pull on some pants and a sweatshirt. Grabbing a coat for her and some shoes, he helped her into them too. "Are you ready?"

Aerith smiled. "To get this baby out? Yes!" she said, standing with his help.

Something passed between them as she looked up at him and he stared down at her. She was beautiful in her pregnancy, even with her disheveled hair and the tired eyes. Zack found himself leaning forward, their lips almost touching, but she gasped right before they could kiss. Aerith stared at their shoes and grimaced. "I think my water just broke!"

Zack's eyes widened and he led her towards the door, grabbing the baby bag before he grabbed the keys and they were out the door. He couldn't explain what had just happened, but he was about to be a father and that was all that mattered for the moment.

………

It seemed like days later when he was allowed to see Tifa again, but in reality it had been many hours. Cloud hadn't known labors could take that long, but he had felt a swell of relief when Yuffie had finally stepped out and told him that both Tifa and the baby were okay. They both grabbed a cup of coffee while Tifa was moved to a regular room and then they made their way back up to the maternity floor of the private hospital Tifa had chosen for the birth of her baby.

"How traumatic was it?" Cloud asked curiously.

"A lot of screams and... stuff I'd rather forget. I hung out near Tifa's head so that I didn't see anything that would scar me for life," Yuffie said, grinning. "But then it was amazing. This red screaming thing came out and Tifa cried because she was happy and not in pain anymore. You have to see the baby. Looks just like Tifa!" Yuffie said excitedly.

As they stood, sipping their coffee, a nurse walked out and told them that Tifa would see them now. Stepping into the quiet room, Cloud searched the bed to find a very tired but smiling Tifa looking back at them. "How are you feeling?" he asked, pressing a kiss to her forehead and then taking a look at the bundle in her arms.

"Like a million bucks," she said with a wink. "But I hurt everywhere and I need some sleep. Though I don't think I'll be able to sleep for the next ten years."

Cloud smiled and looked at the tiny face, framed by pink and a tiny hat on her head. She was red and a little weird looking, but Tifa had told him that all babies were born that way and that she would grow out of it. "She's beautiful," he murmured. And it was the honest truth. Anything that came from Tifa was beautiful.

Tifa smiled and felt her eyes water with emotion. The baby would have Zack's nose and eyes. She knew. She had already glimpsed a bit of the blue that her daughter had inherited from her father. Yuffie smiled as she sat to Tifa's right, looking down at the newborn too. She couldn't even begin to imagine what her friend was feeling, but a niggling thought reminded her that if Vincent would've had his way, she would've had a one year old kid by now. Her face pulled into a frown and she turned to look out of the window before Tifa could see her.

Cloud stood and sighed. "Maybe now would be a good time to call Zack to tell him about the baby?"

"Over the phone? Are you crazy?" Yuffie asked incredulously. "This is something Tifa has to do in person. Not over the phone."

Tifa nodded. "She's right, Cloud. I can't do something like this over the phone. I just... I need some time to rest and gather _some _courage." She turned to Cloud and smiled. "Get some sleep."

"I'll stay with her," Yuffie assured him. "We still have a lot to talk about. Girl stuff," she clarified when Cloud raised one blond eyebrow at her.

He looked at Tifa and she nodded, smiling softly. He leaned forward to kiss her temple and nodded. "Okay. I'll come by later," he said before walking out of the room.

Tifa turned to Yuffie and her eyes watered. "Do _you_ think I should tell Zack?"

"I think that you should do what you think is right," Yuffie said seriously, taking the baby from her and holding her gently. "What will you name her?"

"Lily," Tifa said with a smile. "I've always liked that name," she murmured, watching Yuffie rub gently at a fat little cheek. "She has the darkest hair too. I thought she would look more like me, but it seems that even though she's a girl, she'll look more like Zack."

"Do you want to use your phone to call him?" Yuffie asked quietly, noticing the sad look in Tifa's eyes.

"I don't know if I should," she murmured.

"It can't hurt to try. At least to see if he'll listen to you," Yuffie said.

Tifa let out a deep breath and then nodded. "Okay, I'll call him," she said, working up her courage to at least hear his voice.

Yuffie stood and handed Tifa her phone. The ninja took a seat again when her legs let her know that she wasn't completely healed. Looking down at the baby in her arms, Yuffie smiled gently, wondering what her mother and Tifa's parents would've thought of the newest addition to the family. She really was a beautiful baby.

Meanwhile, Tifa was staring at her phone as she powered it up and waited. Her hands were shaking a little, and though she ached everywhere at the moment, nowhere hurt more than her heart. She had spent the majority of her pregnancy trying not to think of the fact that she had pushed Zack out of her life and into another woman's arms. What if he and Aerith were together now? What if his baby had already been born too? What if he hated her? What if... what if he had stopped loving her? Too many questions, not enough answers, she mused. It was now or never.

…………

Vincent watched Zack pace as he waited for news on Aerith and their daughter. Though he still didn't have a clear idea about what type of relationship the two had, he knew he would've liked to see the birth of his own child if he had been in Zack's place.

"She wanted to do it alone," Zack said, as if he were reading his thoughts.

"You look like you haven't slept in weeks," Vincent commented.

Zack just gave him a wry smile. "Have you... had any news from Tifa?" he asked quietly.

_Ah, there is the cause of Zack's lack of sleep_, Vincent thought. "No. The last time we spoke, she told me that she had no news on Yuffie. She is as happy as she can be without Yuffie, living in Wutai with Cloud."

The other man's name brought a dull ache to his chest and Zack's hands fisted in anger. Before he could say more, his phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket, recognizing the number immediately. He clicked the button to take the call, put the phone to his ear and said nothing.

"Zack?"

He looked at Vincent once before walking down the hallway for a bit of privacy. "Tifa," he nearly breathed her name.

"How... how are you?" she asked gently, her voice shaking.

"Tired," he replied, leaning his head against the window on the opposite side of where he had been waiting with Vincent. "Why are you calling me, Tifa?"

She paused and Zack could her hear breathing softly. "I... there's something important that I need to tell you, but we need to see each other for that."

Zack frowned. "Are you in Midgar?"

"No. I'm still in Wutai." There was silence.

"You want me to go to Wutai?" he asked incredulously. Tifa paused. Zack waited for her answer, but then Vincent interrupted as he jogged over.

"She's here," Vincent said with a light smile, clapping him on the shoulder.

"What?" Zack asked, eyes wide and his attention falling away from the phone.

"The nurse just stepped out and said that you're the father of a very healthy baby girl. They're cleaning her and Aerith up and will soon put them in a room so that you can see them."

"I'm a father?" Zack asked numbly.

"Yes," Vincent said, smirking at the expression on his face. "Should I break out the cigars?"

Zack grinned and snapped out of his stupor, looking down at the phone in his hand and putting it back to his ear. "Tifa?" he asked.

"Congratulations, Zack," she said quietly, her voice trembling.

"Tifa... why did you want to see me?" he asked with a frown.

"Forget it. I wish you the best of happiness with your daughter. Forget I called."

"Tifa... wait," he pleaded.

"What will you name her?" Tifa asked instead.

"Rose. Aerith picked out her name from the moment we knew she was a girl," he said, deflated.

"I wish you and Rose the best in the world. Goodbye, Zack," she said before the line went dead.

"Goodbye... Tifa," Zack whispered, blinking rapidly and feeling a little overwhelmed. Why had she picked that exact moment to call him and turn his life upside down again? Hadn't she had enough of hurting him?

"We should go see your daughter," Vincent said seriously, trying to take the other man's mind off of her.

Zack swallowed hard and looked at his old friend before nodding. "Yeah. Let's go see my daughter. You know... you're going to be her godfather," he said with a forced grin.

Vincent ignored his friend's glassy eyes and nodded. "It would be an honor," he murmured.

"Thanks," Zack said. "For being here for me and for beating my head back onto my shoulders."

"That's what friends are for, right?" Vincent asked with a small grin.

"Yeah," Zack said before they began to walk down the hall. He let out a sigh and tried his best to push Tifa out of his thoughts. He had someone to care for now and to give all his love to. Tifa was in the past, and he needed to let her go. Besides, he had Aerith to take care of now too. Maybe falling in love with her again wouldn't be too bad.

…………

Watching her baby niece sleep the hours away was more peaceful and interesting than Yuffie would've thought. Already a few weeks old and the girl had proved herself to be a Kisaragi. She had amazing lungs and reflexes that normal newborns weren't supposed to have. Either that, or Yuffie was just a damned proud aunt and was seeing things that weren't there. Yuffie suspected it was the latter because she was just ecstatic that she had her very first niece. Taking a look at the beautifully decorated nursery of white and light greens Yuffie smiled to herself. She had offered to watch the baby while Tifa caught up with her sleep. The last few days the ninja had been woken up by the loud cries of Lily in the middle of the night, and Yuffie knew that Tifa would need all the help she could get.

Yuffie had seen her so sad since the afternoon she had called Zack and had tried to get him to come to Wutai to find out about the baby. Tifa had lost her resolve when she had learned that Lily's sister had been born on the same day. Tifa insisted that she would be enough for her daughter. Yuffie sighed and watched the little puffs of air coming from the baby girl's small mouth. She was growing to be a beautiful baby. Her hair was as black as Yuffie's and her eyes could rival the color of the sky. Tifa had been right about her looking more and more like Zack.

Yuffie sighed to herself and sat back in the rocking chair made of a very smooth, and expensive Wutain wood. She'd had time to heal and figure out a plan for her next hit against Shinra. For now, the trio that had saved her had given her time to spend with her family, but they would soon come knocking on her door. Yuffie stared at the ring in the palm of her hand and her eyes narrowed in thought. She wasn't quite sure about what she'd do about Vincent just yet, but something would come to her. Getting even with those who had wronged her had always been fairly easy and she knew this time that would be the case as well. There had never been anyone who had hurt her the way Vincent had and continued to do. Only yesterday she had seen his and Lucrecia's pictures in a magazine, looking fairly happy and carefree.

"I'm coming back from the dead, Vincent. You and Lucrecia will see how much fun I can be when I'm angry," she murmured. Hearing the phone ring in the distance, Yuffie gave her niece one last look to make sure she was still blissfully asleep, before she stood and walked out of the dimly lit nursery.

Tifa had answered it and her eyes were wide and horrified as she turned to look at Yuffie. Then she hung up at the phone and a few tears trailed down her face. "What's going on?" Yuffie asked in worry.

"Uncle Godo is dying."

...

...

...

...

...

Whew! Finally another chapter. I'm trying to get things to wind down, otherwise we'll go on and on and it'll be fifty chapters before I know it(don't freak out, that won't happen!). I know my ending, but the chapters always turn out longer than planned. Still, I hope everyone enjoyed it. Also, I have no clue how long it takes for someone to regain full use of their legs after being in a coma. I do know you don't magically recover quickly, but I may be wrong in my assumption of how long it would take Yuffie to walk. Sorry if I am.

Now, I must say that the next chapter will include VincentYuffie interaction, though we'll see what the ninja has to say to Vince after all that has happened, and we'll see if Zack finds out he has two kids and not one. Thank you so much for the reviews last chapter. They broke records for this story and it's been the most reviewed chapter so far, so thank you very much. I'm very happy you're all enjoying this fic. I have to go for now, but I will soon get to work on the next chapter. Everyone have a great week and I'll talk to you all soon!

Joey

P.S. I only slightly changed the title of this chapter from what it had been previously. It's no big deal. Hope everyone enjoyed!


	24. From the Ashes

.............................

**From the Ashes**

.............................

Yuffie couldn't believe that the man in the hospital bed had once been her proud, strong father. There were various tubes attached to him, helping him breathe and making sure that he remained alive. He had various bandages, bruises and cuts, but he was alive. Choking back her tears as she approached his side, she took his hand gently in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Father?" she asked softly.

He gave a small groan and his eyes worked to open. He finally opened them and stared at her, not believing that he was seeing her. "I must be crossing over," he murmured in their native tongue.

"Don't you dare say that, old man," she said gently, also in Wutainese. She reached over to touch his cheek. "I'm not dead and neither are you. I need you strong and healthy. I need my dad," she said, her voice catching in a sob.

"Yuffie, is that really you?" Godo asked her in a scratchy voice. "I thought you had joined your mother. I remember thinking that I wanted to join you seconds before the accident," he murmured.

She lost her battle with her tears and shook her head. "I was in a coma for eight months," Yuffie said. "I'm sorry I lied about stealing and you had to find out about it that way. I'm sorry I have only disappointed you, father."

Godo shook his head and touched her face as she took a seat next to him. "You were anything but a disappointment. You were just like your mother. She had a soft spot for stealing as well. How do you think I truly met her?" he asked, his breathing a little hard.

"She was a thief?" Yuffie asked in shock. Godo nodded and it looked painful. Though she wanted to know more about her mother's secret, Yuffie knew that talking too much couldn't be good for her father in the state he was in. "Dad, stop talking. You need to rest so that you can get out of this with only a limp," she said with a smile.

"I'm afraid that... that is impossible," he said quietly. "Are Tifa and Cloud here?"

Yuffie nodded and walked to the door to usher her cousin and Cloud in. Tifa nearly ran to his side and squeezed his hand between hers. "Uncle Godo, I'm so glad you're alive. You have to make it out of this, for Yuffie, for me, and for... for Lily."

Godo gave her a questioning look and turned to Cloud only to notice a tiny baby wrapped in pink, in his arms. "You're a grandfather. I'm sorry I kept it from you, but you need to live for us," Tifa said quietly. She took the baby from Cloud and showed her to Godo.

Godo gave her a look. Even with the bruises and the cuts on his face, he managed to look a little intimidating. "Did you and Cloud...?"

Tifa shook her head. "She's Zack's daughter."

Her uncle just laid back and looked at the baby, who he noted had the brightest blue eyes he had seen. She was beautiful and he was sure that she would grow to become a wonderful woman like his daughters. He just regretted the fact that he wouldn't be there. He felt as if he had no time left. He turned back to Tifa and to his little granddaughter. "May you live a happy and healthy life," he murmured, touching the baby's head.

"Uncle Godo, stop talking like you're going to die. Please," Tifa said.

Godo just smiled kindly at her and Yuffie felt as if a knife was twisting in her stomach. He knew he was leaving and he was saying his goodbyes. The doctors had told them that there were great chances that he wouldn't survive the night, even after the surgery performed on him to stop all the internal bleeding. The flight back to Midgar had only taken a few hours, and they had arrived while Godo had still been in the OR. The police had been there to greet them and had explained that they were investigating his car accident, but that it seemed like it hadn't been a true accident.

"Yuffie, listen," Godo said, clutching her hand and bringing her attention back to him. "Vincent isn't a bad man. You must forgive him for what he has done. I came to know him these last few months and he has a good reason for why he did what he did."

Yuffie shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, but Godo squeezing her hand stopped her. "He loves _you_. Don't believe anything else you see. I am glad that you are alive and well, but it is my time, daughter."

"Don't do this, dad!" she pleaded.

"You look just like your mother did at your age. Beautiful," he whispered. He then turned to Cloud. "Protect them with all your strength. They will be your responsibility from this moment on, including my granddaughter."

Cloud nodded and couldn't hide the grief in his eyes. "I promise I will," he replied.

Godo finally turned to Tifa, his eyes were a little unfocused and his breathing was more shallow. "I do not know... why you kept her from her father... but you must do the right thing. I know that you are wise beyond your years and you will do what is best for your child. Promise me that you will do the right thing."

Tifa nodded quickly and a few tears trailed down her cheeks, nearly dropping right into Lily's dark, silky hair. "I promise. Please don't die, uncle Godo," she whispered.

"You have all made me proud, and I will go with the knowledge that I didn't do such a bad job as a father," he said with a faint smile, his breathing beginning to slow.

"I love you, dad," Yuffie whispered.

"Uncle Godo..." Tifa said, shaking her head.

Godo took them both in as his vision began to turn dark. "Bury me next to your mother... and don't cry for me, daughters," he said quietly. He touched both their hands and his eyes closed, a small smile on his face. The machines at his side let out a steady, flat tone and Yuffie let out a harsh sob as she threw her arms around her father's middle. Cloud ran out to call a nurse or a doctor and Tifa stood back and hugged her daughter to her, tears falling down her cheeks in a torrent of grief.

"Don't leave me, daddy!" Yuffie whispered against his chest, over his heart. "Please." But there was no beat under her cheek, and he was no longer breathing. Cloud pulled her away as a group of men and women rushed in and tried to revive them as a nurse ushered them out of the room.

Yuffie turned int Cloud's arms and cried out her anguish as she clung to his jacket. Using his free arm, he wrapped it around Tifa's shoulders as they waited for any good news to come from Godo's room. Many minutes—that felt like an eternity—later, the main doctor stepped out and shook his head. "I'm sorry. The damage from the crash was too extensive inside of him. We did all that we could."

Yuffie said nothing and just pulled away from Cloud and Tifa before walking numbly towards the elevators. Tifa handed the baby over to Cloud and rushed after her, slipping inside the elevator just before the doors closed. The ride down was quiet and filled with pain, and Tifa followed her cousin out and towards the back, where the hospital stood in a midst of planted trees, and grass far too green to be naturally grown.

She felt numb inside, and she didn't know where her feet were taking her, but she was aware of Tifa at her back, her support even when she hadn't asked for it. Dropping down on her knees right next to one of the furthest trees, Yuffie broke once more. Her fingers dug into the soft air and she gasped out desperate breaths until she was nearly hyperventilating. Tifa dropped right next to her and hugged her tightly, her heart aching at the loss of the man who had been her father and at the pain her cousin was feeling.

"Tifa," Yuffie murmured after a long moment, once her cries had subsided and her breath had gone back to normal. Tifa made a small noise to let her know she was listening. "If this wasn't an accident, I'm going to make the one responsible pay."

Tifa kissed the top of her head and nodded. "They will pay, Yuffie," she whispered, her own eyes blinded by tears. "We should start the preparations for his funeral."

"Only family will be allowed to mourn him. The burial can be for his associates and business partners, but not the service before," Yuffie said, standing and then helping Tifa to her feet.

"Yuffie, it's okay to cry," Tifa said, touching Yuffie's cheek.

"I'll have time to cry later. Right now I have a lot of things to do. We're going back to Wutai as soon as... as soon as the body is turned over to us. We'll do as Godo wished," she said, her voice trembling.

Tifa watched her walk away and sighed quietly to herself. She had a feeling that Yuffie was bottling all her feelings inside so that she wouldn't feel so much pain. Tifa knew though, that all Yuffie felt would eventually want out, and she had a feeling that Vincent Valentine would be on the receiving end of it all. Running a hand through her hair, she walked back into the hospital, wondering how she would live in a world without her uncle.

………

It was once they were in Wutai again, that Yuffie learned that Vincent had found out about Godo's accident and had demanded to get news on him. The doctor that had been in charge of her father had called her to let her know because he had been adamant about getting news on Godo. Staring blankly at the coffin, Yuffie realized that she would more than likely see him at the burial, which would take place tomorrow morning.

Feeling a gentle hand on her arm, Yuffie turned and expected to see Tifa at his side, but was encountered with brilliant green eyes. "Now is not the time to talk about the job," she said dryly.

Yazoo stared at her dry eyes and shook his head. "I'm not here for that. My brothers and I just wanted to offer you condolences. You can take the time you need to get your life in order. We will not push you."

Yuffie nodded and sighed. "Thanks," she muttered.

"Have you cried?" he asked her gently.

A scowl worked its way onto her face. Why was everyone worried about whether she had cried or not? "I'll cry when I need to," she replied, staring at the images of Leviathan sitting all around her father's dead body. They would help him find his way in the afterlife, but that didn't meant that this would be any less painful.

"Would you... be opposed to me accompanying you to the burial tomorrow?" Yazoo asked her softly.

Yuffie turned to look at him and let out a sigh. He was a handsome man, but her head and her heart were so wounded that she couldn't even stop to wonder if Yazoo was hitting on her or just offering her friendship. She finally nodded. "We will mourn him all night. You didn't know my father, so you don't have to stay. Just come back tomorrow morning at eight."

Yazoo shook his head and touched her cheek. "I will remain here, in case you need someone to talk to, or at the very least, someone to sit with you. Do not hesitate to tell me," he said before walking away.

The rest of the evening was spent receiving condolences from distant family, second cousins, aunts and uncles she hadn't seen in years. She hadn't even known she'd had that many family members outside of Tifa and Godo. That night, she didn't even nod off a little. Sleep was something that had been hard to come by from the moment she had waken up. If only she hadn't waited to see her father again. They would've had nearly a month together. Maybe she could've stopped his death, or prevented the tampering of his car.

Yuffie blinked and looked up when Tifa sat at her side. Tifa gave her a look. "You can't blame yourself for this," she murmured.

"How do you know I am blaming myself?" Yuffie asked.

"I've known you since before you learned to walk. It's the look on your face, in your eyes. You couldn't have stopped his accident. So far, there's no indication that there were threats against Uncle Godo's life. Don't put this guilt on your shoulders," Tifa pleaded.

Yuffie sighed. Tifa had a point, but it didn't make her feel any less angry and sad. "I'll have to go back to Midgar," she muttered.

"I'll go with you," Tifa said.

"You don't have to Tifa. Being closer to Zack will mean a bigger risk of him finding out about Lily," Yuffie said with a shake of her head.

"Uncle Godo was right. I need to do what's best for my daughter and she needs her real dad with her," Tifa said softly. "For that, we need to be in Midgar with you."

Yuffie squeezed her hand and offered her a small smile, the first Tifa had seen since her uncle Godo had passed. "We'll get through this, Yuffie. I know we will," she said reassuringly.

The ninja just nodded and offered no comment. Instead, she just laid her head against Tifa's shoulder and let out a long breath. She couldn't find her tears anymore. Since her last bout of hysteria outside of the hospital, she hadn't been able to cry anymore. It worried her, but Yuffie knew that there would be a breaking point soon. She just hoped it wasn't in public. Feeling Tifa hug her felt like a hug from her mother, and it helped to know that she was there by her side, but Yuffie knew that tomorrow would be the first of many trying days.

She knew that Vincent would be at the burial and more than likely, his precious Lucrecia would be there as well. She hadn't counted on "coming back to life" so soon, but tomorrow would be the best day to let Vincent know that she hadn't died. She couldn't wait to see his face and to hear what he had to say. Her father's words still weighed heavily in her mind, but there was no reasoning with the fact that Vincent hadn't even waited a damned year to get back with the witch. What about Hojo? Hadn't Vincent seen how convenient it was that the old man had died so soon after she supposedly had too?

"I think Hojo's death wasn't an accident either," Yuffie whispered.

"You think Lucrecia did him in?" Tifa questioned.

"Maybe Vincent did it for her," Yuffie said dryly. "He'd certainly know how."

"Remember what Uncle Godo said about him," Tifa reminded her gently.

"Dad was too gullible for a business man. He always wanted to believe the best in people, even me," Yuffie said, feeling her eyes itch, but the tears didn't come.

"You're a good person, Yuffie. We both are because we want the greater good. We want to help those who don't have someone to care for them, but we wouldn't hurt anyone," she said. "Right?"

Yuffie sat up and turned to look at Tifa. "I'm coming back to make Vincent's life miserable, Tifa. I won't ask you to be a part of this, but I will need someone to talk to."

"Yuffie, revenge isn't always sweet. You're in love with him, and you're hurt because of what he's done. Hurting Vincent back isn't the answer," Tifa pleaded with her.

Yuffie shook her head. "There's no justification for him going back to Lucrecia, Tifa. If it had been any other woman, then maybe it wouldn't hurt this much, but it was Lucrecia, the woman who tried to destroy our marriage too many times to count, and many of those times, he kept it from me. Well, she succeeded. Vincent and I are over, and he will see that he _never _should've forced himself into my life. Nothing you say to me will make me forget my plans, Tifa. I love you, but you won't change my mind."

Tifa sighed and stood, leaving Yuffie to brood and to keep planning. Stepping over to where Cloud was leaning against the wall, near the door, she shook her head sadly. "She's hell bent on revenge."

Cloud reached up to hug Tifa and rubbed her hair as she let out a tired breath. "I think we're going to have to let her go through with whatever she has planned. She'll eventually see that what she's doing won't make her feel any less angry or any more happy," he whispered.

Tifa nodded tiredly. "I'm going to check on Lily and then I'll come back. Keep an eye on Yuffie?" she asked with a sad smile.

"Don't worry about it," Cloud said before she walked away. He stepped away from the wall and walked over to sit next to Yuffie, who was once more staring at her father's coffin.

Yuffie gave him a look and then turned back to the coffin. "Are you here to tell me that revenge isn't the right way to go, too?" she asked him sarcastically.

Cloud shrugged and shook his head. "I'm here to tell you that everyone copes their own way. We can't judge you for yours. Just know that at one point, you'll regret it."

"You sound like you know what it feels like," Yuffie said.

"I do. Do you ever wonder why I don't talk about my family, or why I ran away?" Cloud asked.

Yuffie shook her head. "Your secrets were yours to keep. Though that doesn't mean that I'm not interested," she said with a slight smirk.

"There was a point when I wanted revenge against my own family. But with enough space and time, I cooled down and I was able to see how wrong my thoughts were. I wouldn't have been able to hurt those people because whether I liked it or not, they were my family," he said calmly.

She just scoffed. "Vincent isn't family. Not anymore. I'm done letting him hurt me," she said darkly.

Cloud just sat back and watched her carefully. "Are you sure you won't regret this?"

"I can't say I won't, but it's the only thing that I have to look forward to now," Yuffie replied. It was sad, truly, and she could see it herself, that the only thing she had to look forward to in her life was revenge. She hadn't wanted her life to turn out that way, but aside from finding out who had killed her father, she needed to find out who had tried to kill her. If it took her her whole life, the one responsible would pay.

………

Even when the coffin was carried towards the burial ground where her mother, her aunt, and her uncle rested, Yuffie couldn't find her tears. Her head was wrapped in a black, beautifully embroidered shawl, and she had on large, black shades, effectively hiding her features. On her arm, Yazoo merely offered her hand a squeeze and walked with her towards the opening in the soft earth, where her father would rest forever. Other people were arriving now, and she felt a prickle run down her spine as she walked.

Turning slowly, so as not to draw attention to herself, Yuffie looked back and spotted Vincent, dressed in an all black suit and with... long hair. She stared for a moment and refrained from removing her sunglasses to see him better, but she wasn't seeing things. Had he... grown out his hair as a sort of tribute to her? Yuffie shook her head and continued to walk with Yazoo. She would lay her father to rest, and then the show would start.

"Is that your husband?" asked Yazoo quietly.

"Yeah," Yuffie growled out softly. "And he's here with his whore. Touching, isn't it?"

"He's going to find out here that you're alive in just a few minutes," said Yazoo with a slight smirk. "Do you still have feelings for him?"

"How is that any of your business?" Yuffie asked him snidely.

"No need to get all pissy. I was just curious. You must remain cold if you truly want to hurt him," he said with a one-shouldered shrug. "And I know the best way to get to your man."

"How?" Yuffie asked curiously.

Yazoo's eyes glittered evilly. "By bringing out the most basic feeling every man feels at one point in his life. By making him jealous, of course."

Yuffie didn't know if that was the way she wanted to go, but it was a start. "Did you have a man in mind who would be willing to help me with that?"

He shrugged once more. "I'm already here, you can _use_ me."

"We'll see how things go," Yuffie said evasively, though Yazoo's idea seemed interesting enough. She had been thinking of basing her revenge on the company that Vincent loved so dearly and had wanted to use to take down Shinra, but that could serve her later on.

Staring ahead as her father's coffin was placed over the opening in the earth, she cleared her throat and felt her heart ache at the thought of never seeing her father again. She and Yazoo stepped up next to Tifa and Cloud, and she saw that she had finally caught Vincent's eye. He stared at her pensively for a moment until Lucrecia pulled his attention back to her as she said something about the flowers in her hands.

There was a man already waiting for them and who would pronounce a speech in Wutain and then bless Godo's soul in the next life. Looking over to the next grave, Yuffie felt her heart beat painfully in her chest when she saw her mother's grave so close. She was an orphan now. She and Tifa were both orphans and it hurt like hell to know that Godo would never nag her again, or give her that annoyed look because she had been annoying him to the brink of insanity. He would never again call her daughter, or 'dear Yuffie.' Godo was gone; her father was gone and he wouldn't come back. She swallowed hard when she felt a tear trail down from the safety of sunglasses and down her cheek.

Yazoo reached up and cleaned it away, and that was then Yuffie decided to act. She slid off the sunglasses and turned to look at Vincent. She saw his eyes widen in disbelief and he would've started forward had Lucrecia not had her arm wrapped around his. Yuffie looked up into green eyes when he drew her tear to his lips and offered Yazoo a small smile, recognizing what he was doing.

Once the burial was over, and Godo's grave had been filled with dirt and white flowers—mostly white roses from Yuffie—everyone began to walk away calmly. Vincent pulled away from Lucrecia, but as he began to approach Yuffie, she sent a look towards the men that had been standing a small distance away and they moved to intercept him.

"Yuffie... Yuffie, is that you?" Vincent called to her.

Her only answer was to pull something from her pocket and to throw it at his feet. She turned and began to walk away with Tifa, Cloud, and Yazoo. Approaching their cars, Yuffie turned in time to see Vincent charge past the men in the black suits and approach her quickly. She held up a hand to the guards before they could cause Vincent any bodily harm—or possibly get their asses handed to them—and she turned to him silently.

"You're alive," he murmured, reaching up to touch her face, amazed by her change. She was radiant, beautiful, and her hair was so long now.

"Unfortunately for you," Yuffie finally spoke, pulling the shawl from around her and placing it inside her car and effectively pulling away before he could touch her.

"Where have you been all this time?" Vincent asked greedily taking in her face.

Yuffie turned to look at Yazoo, who was leaning against the back of her car and smirked. "Living my life the way I wanted to before you came into the picture," she said in a scathing tone.

"You've... been alive all this time, and you made us all think you were dead?" Vincent nearly yelled, his red eyes alight with anger.

Yuffie reciprocated with her own. "You don't look to me as if you were mourning my death," she spat.

His anger seemed to dwindle. "Yuffie... Lucrecia and I..."

She glared at him. "You and Lucrecia can go to hell for all I care. I have to go," she said, moving to get into her car.

"Yuffie," Vincent said, grabbing her arm and forcefully turning her around. The guards and even Yazoo started forward to stop him, but Yuffie whirled with the momentum and rammed her fist right into his face, making his head snap back with the force of her hit.

Vincent staggered back and clutched at his face, staring at Yuffie as she got into her car with the man with silver hair and glared back at him before starting her car and driving away. The guards went with her and left him standing there alone. Only then did he notice the media standing guard on the outside of the cemetery, flashing away with their cameras. Letting out a disgruntled, pained sigh, he began to walk to his car, where Lucrecia was waiting.

"What happened?" she asked in worry, noticing his already bruising cheekbone.

"Yuffie is alive," he said simply.

"What?" she asked in shock.

"I do not wish to talk about it," Vincent snapped.

Lucrecia frowned at his tone and shook her head. "But—"

Vincent glared at her, his red eyes lit with fire. "Did you not understand what I just said to you?" he asked her quietly.

She stared at him with wide eyes and realized that he hadn't talked to her that way since before Yuffie had supposedly died. Gritting her teeth, she got into the car and didn't ask any questions. She didn't care if Yuffie was alive; she had a feeling that Yuffie wouldn't be forgiving Vincent for getting back with her. Smiling to herself as Vincent drove, Lucrecia knew that all she could do was pour more salt into the wound. She wouldn't let Vincent out of her grasp this time.

…………

Taking a look around the Shinra building located in Junon, Yuffie smirked to herself and flashed the clearance pass that Kadaj had procured for her. She didn't ask questions and she walked as if she owned the place, confident and sure. Turning a corner, she stopped and looked around. "It's a dead end," she murmured, not moving her lips too much.

"Turn back to the hallway you just passed and go right," said Kadaj's voice in her ear. "The blueprints aren't always accurate."

"Or they're purposely wrong, to make potential thieves get lost," Yuffie said. She did as told and flipped her long, fake red hair over her shoulder. She didn't look half bad with red hair, but it was the eyebrows that ruined it. Next time she'd have to change them to make her disguise more believable. Coming to a stop in front of the room she was supposed to get into, she retrieved a small, rounded device from her purse and put it against the keypad to the right of the door. The device scanned for the code and a little green light flashed, letting her in.

"I'm in," she said, looking around the archives room. She wondered briefly how many things Shinra had to hide if it kept its archives on a top clearance floor and with such an advanced security system.

"You will have very little time to hack into the mainframe and to download the files we need. We will keep the system from resetting, but we can't know exactly how long you'll have before the security system detects us and they come after you," said Yazoo.

"Okay," Yuffie muttered, moving towards the large computer sitting against the wall. She wondered why they had kept the actual copies and the digital copies of all the going ons in the company. Narrowing her eyes, she pulled out a flash drive from inside of a tube of lipstick and a disk from inside a compact to make two separate copies of everything. Hacking into the server was a breeze, even without Tifa there to aid her, and she was counting on Kadaj and Yazoo to keep security away from her as she hacked through the defenses.

_Downloading... _the computer screen read. She looked around and whistled to herself, wondering briefly why there were no cameras in the room. They had scanned the floor and this had been the only room that didn't register cameras filming everything. _Downloading 50%... _humming to herself, she checked the blades resting just inside her high heeled boots. If push came to shove and security caught up to her, she'd have to do some damage. She was baiting Shinra, and they still had Turks as the highest form of security in the food chain.

"What's taking so long?" asked Kadaj in her ear.

"It's barely at seventy-nine percent," Yuffie replied.

"You need to hurry, we'll only have one more chance to push out security before they locate the breech," Yazoo spoke next.

"Fine," Yuffie snapped. Tapping her foot impatiently as the downloads completed, she grabbed the flash drive and the disk before heading for the door. She stopped at the security pad and removed the device she had used before entering. Walking out quickly, she heard an alarm go off and cursed. "Give me an exit!" she ordered.

"Move towards the dead end," said Yazoo.

"There better be a safe way for me to get out of this," Yuffie hissed, hearing the sounds of footsteps approaching. She reached for a blade, but her eyes widened when she saw him.

"There is," Yazoo said, placing something that looked like a highly advanced explosive against one of the large windows.

Yuffie stared at him. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"I do," he said, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her securely against him. "Hold on tight."

Yuffie wrapped her arms around him as the windows exploded out and she closed her eyes as she and Yazoo began to fall backwards. She grunted when he pulled at something at his chest and opened her eyes in time to see the parachute open above them. "You could've at least warned me," she yelled as the air rushed around them.

"And ruin the surprise?" he asked her with a smirk, his silver hair tied back in a low ponytail. "Security was too fast and Kadaj knew that you'd need a quicker way of getting out. Stop complaining and enjoy."

"Heights make me queasy," Yuffie told him, eyes narrowed.

"Then let's hit the ground quickly," Yazoo said, maneuvering them into the park in the downtown district of Junon. The parachute fell over and around them. They quickly got out from under the black material and Yazoo unlatched it from his jumpsuit. He beckoned for Yuffie to follow him and they stepped onto the street just as a van pulled up in front of them; Loz was driving.

"Did you get it?" asked Kadaj, looking back at them as Yuffie pulled off her wig.

"Yeah," she said, handing over the disk. "What are you going to do with it?"

Kadaj gave her a cool look. "You've returned our favor for saving your life."

"In other words _'none of my business,' _right?" Yuffie asked with a smirk. She turned to Yazoo and he shrugged.

"Would it be alright with you if I stayed in Midgar in order for your cousin to train me with her hacking skills?" he asked her calmly.

Yuffie gave him a scrutinizing look and shrugged. "You'd have to ask her if she has time. It's not up to me," she said, smirking to herself. She had a feeling that Yazoo didn't want to stay for training, but she wouldn't disturb the bees in their hive. She wasn't in the mood to get stung anymore.

………

When she finally worked up the courage to call a meeting with the highest executives in the company, Lily was approaching the age of thee months. She was more alert, and cute and chubby. Yuffie loved her niece to pieces and she thought of her as the cutest baby in the world. But moving back to her first train of thought. She had an ace up her sleeve for the meeting, and she had made sure that Vincent would be present. After all, he was now the _president_ of the company. "You don't waste time on anything, do you?" Yuffie asked herself as she walked towards the elevator with Tifa and Yazoo, who had expressed his skills in business as well.

"What?" Tifa asked, smoothing a hand over her once more, slim stomach. She looked nice and curvy in the suit skirt she was wearing, but with a touch of sexiness thanks to the strappy high heels she was wearing.

"Nothing," Yuffie said, feeling a little strange in her own clothing. She had been wearing her short shorts for so long—with the occasional normal clothing—that she didn't know if she wanted the more mature look yet. Her skirt was still beyond short, but it was decent enough to pull off. She felt like a different person with long hair. A new Yuffie had risen after the coma she had been in. The old Yuffie had died with the accident at Shinra manor, later on with Vincent's betrayal, and once more with her father's death. "It should be left clear that no one can make a decision without our okay," Yuffie reminded her.

"I bet you many of Uncle Godo's old friends will not like this one bit," Tifa commented.

"They can either live with it or sell their shares of the company to me," Yuffie said with a careless shrug. The elevator finally stopped and they all stepped out. They were greeted by the woman who had been Godo's secretary for many years, and she informed them that everyone was waiting. "Thank you," Yuffie said, motioning for her to walk with them into the conference room.

Upon entering, the room hushed down from the calm conversations that had been going on and Yuffie stopped to stare at everyone. The news of her being alive had spread faster than the speed of light and every newspaper, gossip channel, and magazine had reported on it. They had made an entire scandal out of what they had called 'The Valentine Triangle,' and they hadn't stopped hounding her. Some reporters had even gone as far as to sleep outside of her home. She gazed at every single person present, including Reeve Tuesti, Angeal Hewley, Aerith, and Zack. She wondered why they were present, but she realized she shouldn't have. Zack was Vincent's right hand man, and she remembered Aerith going to school to earn her degree in business as well.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Yuffie started, moving towards the head of the table, where Vincent was sitting. He was watching her carefully, as if she were going to strike at any minute. Her lips twitched and she refrained from smirking. "I have called you all here today to make you aware of two things."

"I have a meeting to be in in thirty minutes. How long is this going to take?" asked a balding man, sitting towards the other end of the table.

"Not long," Yuffie said, giving him a cold look. "If you refer to the portfolios that _my secretary _is passing around," Yuffie said, stopping to stare at Vincent as his eyes narrowed. "You will see that there has been a change of presidency once more."

"That's not possible," said Zack, looking from Vincent to her.

"Read the information in the portfolio, Mr. Fair," Tifa said calmly. Zack's eyes snapped to hers and he gave her a look that wasn't entirely friendly. "I sold my shares of this company to Yuffie, and therefore that makes her majority share holder with a forty-five percent. That beats out Mr. Valentine's shares of forty percent. She is free to take the presidency if she desires."

"As of this moment, I am the new president of Kisaragi-Valentine. Next, I have named my cousin, Tifa Lockhart, vice president. Any decision goes through either her or me. Any questions?" she asked them coldly.

No one raised their hands... or, no man raised their hand. Yuffie and Tifa turned to look at Aerith. "It is the opinion of many people in this room that Mr. Valentine has been doing a great job as president," she stated calmly.

"Well, it's time for a change around here," Yuffie replied. "This company is half of my father's legacy, and I'm not quite comfortable leaving it in the hands of a man who has made so many questionable decisions in his life."

The people present looked from her to Vincent for his reaction to her words. He merely stood and gave her an icy look that far surpassed hers. He was, after all, the master of blank stares and cold glares. "It had always been your father's wish for you to take over his company," he said calmly.

Yuffie felt her eyes narrow and her heart beat painfully in her chest at the mention of Godo. "I will give you until the end of the week to finish any work you have started and to empty the presidential office," she said coolly.

Vincent gave her a curt nod and turned to the other people present. "Let us all make sure that we make this transition as easy as possible, shall we?" he asked everyone. There were nods and affirmations. "Good. Is there anything else you wish to discuss?" he asked, addressing Yuffie.

"No. The meeting is officially over," Yuffie said, stepping out with Yazoo. She let out a sigh once she was out of earshot of all the strangers and familiar faces and turned to Tifa. "They didn't like the fact that I dethroned Vincent 'Mr. Perfect' Valentine," Yuffie said darkly. "They can go suck a lemon for all I care," she hissed.

Tifa sighed to herself and shook her head when her eyes met Yazoo's. She hadn't much trusted him from the moment she had met him, but she had come to know him a little and she had realized just how smart he was. She had liked him from the moment he had helped her hack into the city's computer to see who paid the most taxes in Midgar. They'd had a nice laugh afterwards. She was so caught up in her thoughts of what else they could hack into, that she, Yazoo, and Yuffie were nearly blindsided by Vincent.

He grabbed Yuffie around the arm and nearly dragged her into the empty, closing elevator. Once the doors were closed and they were moving down, he hit the stop button and turned to Yuffie. "Care to explain what you just did in the conference room?" Vincent asked her quietly.

Yuffie stared at him and shook his arm off. "Let me off of the elevator. I have nothing to say to you," she snapped, staring straight at the doors and avoiding his gaze.

"Yuffie... I understand you are angry about my situation with Lucrecia, but if you'd only let me explain," Vincent started, looking at her from under silky, sexily tousled long hair. Did he look incredibly handsome with hair that long. It didn't even diminish from his masculinity.

"Explain what?" Yuffie asked slowly. "The fact that you didn't even wait a damn year to go back to her? How long did you wait, Vincent? Two months? Three? Or did you just go back to her the day after my supposed death?" she spat, her eyes narrowed.

Vincent stared at her, watching the set of her face, her pursed lips, and her long hair. He had never seen her so beautiful and he had never missed her more than in that moment. He reached up to touch her face, but she flinched away from his touch. "I loved you. I still love you," he murmured seriously.

"You have a funny way of showing it. Let me off or I will not be held responsible for my actions," Yuffie said, turning away from him.

"Won't you at least listen to me?"

"No."

Vincent let out a frustrated sigh and hit the stop button once more. "I thought you were dead," he said quietly.

"I did die. The person you see here, now, is not the same Yuffie you married. You killed me, Vincent, and someone else rose from the ashes. I will never again allow you to interfere with my life," Yuffie said, exiting the elevator when the doors opened on the fourth floor. "Expect a call from my lawyer soon regarding the divorce."

"No matter what happens, my heart will belong to you."

Yuffie smiled sardonically. "And here I thought that the great Vincent Valentine didn't have a heart," she said.

Vincent held the door and watched her turn away. "I do have a heart, and it bled for you. It still bleeds for you," he said gently. She turned and her eyes met his in one heart stopping moment before the doors shut. He closed his eyes and forced a harsh breath from his lungs. What the hell had he done? The Yuffie that had looked back at him now was not the same Yuffie he had thought he had lost that evening nearly a year ago. It hurt, it hurt the place that Yuffie had said that she thought hadn't existed. He would have to live with the knowledge that he had killed anything Yuffie may have ever felt for him with his actions. In that moment, more than ever, he wished he could turn back time and not feel the guilt and the ache in his chest.

Things had been so much easier when he'd had no feelings or a conscience.

...

...

...

...

...

Dunno how I feel about this chapter. It wasn't my favorite, but I didn't think it was _too _bad either. I just had to get it out of the way too. Up next is some ZackTifa, a Yuffie and Lucrecia confrontation, and we'll see more of Vincent and possibly Genesis. There's drama up ahead and we're closing in on an ending, though there are a few more chapters to come.

The whole jumping out of the window together was borrowed and tweaked a little from "The Dark Knight." I do love that movie, though it turned out more sad than I had anticipated. Anyway, hope the chapter wasn't too boring or too sad. Also, I don't know very much about business, but if any of you do and what I wrote in the end was wrong, just ignore it and let's say it's true for the sake of the fic, okay? Again and always, thank you for the positive response to this fic. Though I very much enjoy writing it for myself, it makes me happy to see everyones response too. Thank you, everyone(those of you who reviewed anonymously... Jrock Junkie and Star Anise, too) and those of you following, _"Knight in Shining Armor," _expect an update in a few days. See you all soon!

Joey


	25. The Lion's Den

.............................

**The Lion's Den**

.............................

When she had thought on how she had wanted her life to be when she had been a young girl, Aerith hadn't known how far from 'happily ever after' she would really be once she became a woman. She loved her daughter more than anything and though her circumstances with Zack weren't more than them being just friends, she couldn't have asked for a better father for her child. Though Rose resembled her more in appearance, she seemed to have inherited Zack's cheerful disposition and his smile. Her green eyes would light up so brightly whenever her father was around. The only physical trait that Rose seemed to have gotten from Zack were his facial expressions and his dark, dark hair.

Aerith looked up towards the door when there was a knock and someone stepped through. She blinked in surprise and smiled. "Good morning," she said brightly.

Sephiroth gave her a barely veiled once over and nodded. "It has been too long since the last time we spoke."

Aerith nodded and stood, motioning for him to sit in front of her. "How can I help you?"

"You... owe me something," Sephiroth said, taking a seat.

She smiled slowly and gave him a puzzled look. "And what would that be?"

"A date," he said, his green eyes glinting.

Aerith sat back and gave him a thoughtful look. "My circumstances have changed. I don't have as much time as I did back then."

"Ah, yes. I heard about you having Fair's child," Sephiroth said. "Are you and he together now?"

Aerith shook her head and looked away. "We live together, but only for the sake of our baby. She was... unexpected, and I think Zack will never bring himself to feel more for me than the feelings of a distant friend."

"Is it true?" Sephiroth asked curiously.

"What?"

"That you became pregnant of your daughter while Fair was engaged to Tifa?"

Aerith shook her head. "It's not the way you make it sound. He didn't... I stepped between him and Tifa," she said, avoiding the details, lest she scare him away by telling him how conniving she had been. "I think Zack will never forgive me for that."

"Well then, you must know that I am very much an opportunist. If you are not with Fair, what is stopping you from going on a date with me?" he asked her smartly.

Aerith smiled. "You don't mind the fact that I had another man's child?"

He shook his head, sending the silky strands of silver slithering over his shoulders. "If anything, you look even more beautiful than before you had the child."

She couldn't help but feel warm inside at his words. When had been the last time she had heard a man speak to her that way? Still, after what she had done by pushing Tifa and Zack apart, she felt as if she didn't deserve a shot at happiness.

"Do not tell me that Fair will object to you dating another man," Sephiroth started.

Aerith shook her head. Maybe it was time to right her wrongs and make Tifa see that she and Zack belonged together. After all, it was her fault that Zack was so unhappy. She turned to Sephiroth and smiled before nodding. "I'll see which day I can get free so that we can go to dinner," she said. She wanted the father of her child to be happy, and his happiness was not with her. It had taken her a while to see it, but now it was a matter of finding out if Tifa still felt the same way for Zack.

………

Yuffie took a look around the office that had belonged to her father and felt the dull ache start up in her chest once more. She missed her father so much, but she could at least be thankful that Vincent hadn't changed anything. It was a shame that that was the only thing she had ever been thankful to Vincent for. Sighing heavily, she noticed the image of herself and Godo sitting on the desk. There was no way of knowing if her father had set it there, or if Vincent had brought it with him.

Taking a seat in the large leather chair, Yuffie stared into space silently, trying to figure out where to go from there. She was in charge of an empire, and though she had always been confident in her abilities, what if she failed and destroyed everything her father and Vincent had worked for? She didn't much care about Vincent's feelings, but she knew that her father was watching her from Leviathan's realm, more thank likely screaming at her to not burn down what he had worked so hard to achieve.

Yuffie's eyes snapped to the door when it slammed open and someone barged in. Her eyes narrowed and her secretary rushed in after Lucrecia, apologizing and explaining that she hadn't been able to stop the other woman. "Don't worry," Yuffie assured her. "I'll deal with this trash." The blonde woman nodded and closed the door after stepping out. Yuffie turned to regard Lucrecia and sighed. "What are you doing here?" she asked in annoyance.

Lucrecia pursed her lips. "Don't pretend to not know. Vincent left me because of you. Why couldn't you just stay dead?"

"When did he leave?" Yuffie asked curiously.

"The same night after he found out that you were alive," Lucrecia spat. "Everything was going great. He promised to marry me!"

"And what makes you think that he still won't? I certainly don't want him after he warmed your bed all these months," Yuffie sneered.

Lucrecia smiled slowly. "Does that disgust you? Does it make your insides turn, imagining him touching me, making love to me, hearing _my _name come from his lips?"

Yuffie stepped up to her and smirked. "All I can think of is that he was thinking of me, while he was with you. He was seeing me, while he touched you. How many times must he have said _my _name without_ you_ knowing?" she asked smugly.

The smile on Lucrecia's face died and she scowled in anger. "I will not let him go without a fight."

Yuffie gave her a thoughtful look and then smiled slowly. "Haven't you realized by now that if I decide to take him back, he will come to me willingly? There will be no fight. You will lose. He wants _me_ and anything you may do will be in vain," she said smugly. "Now, are you going to tell me _why _he went back to you so soon after I had supposedly died? Could it have had something to do with you having a miscarriage many years ago?" Yuffie questioned her softly, watching as the taller woman paled at her words. "Ha, you didn't think I knew that, did you?"

"That was an accident," Lucrecia said, voice laced with silent fury.

_So I hit it on the head, huh? _"Right. I did a little digging and found out that it wasn't. I just have one question... are you sure that Hojo's death was an accident?" Yuffie asked with a smirk. She wasn't prepared for the hand that slapped her across the face.

"Don't you dare accuse me of murdering someone," the brunette spat.

Yuffie refused to show that the blow had hurt her, though her cheek was well and truly stinging. She sighed and leaned back against the desk. "You killed your own baby. I'd say that you would be able to kill anyone else," she said calmly.

"I would've done anything to have Vincent's child!" she screamed.

"And you did, didn't you? Except that you lost the child and then asked Hojo to get you pregnant, you dirty bitch!" Yuffie spat. She saw the hand coming this time and ducked away from it, sending her own fist into Lucrecia's stomach. "That's why he blackmailed you into marriage and you left Vincent so suddenly."

"That's... not true..." Lucrecia gasped out in pain, clutching her stomach as she tried to regain the air she had lost.

"Of course it is," she said with a feral grin. "Imagine what Vincent will say when he finds out."

"When I find out what?" asked Vincent from the doorway. Yuffie looked up and her eyes met his for a second before she turned to Lucrecia. "Should you tell him, or should I?"

Lucrecia turned to Vincent and shook her head. "She's lying, Vincent. Please, don't believe anything she says! She attacked me first!"

Yuffie gave her a bored look and turned to Vincent to see his reaction. "She slapped me first for wringing out a bit of her dirty laundry. Did you know that she lost a baby of yours many years ago?"

Vincent frowned and nodded. "It is why I accepted her comfort. She told me that she was in pain over the loss still."

Yuffie smirked and looked at Lucrecia. "Did you also know that she did nothing to take care of herself _after_ she found out she was pregnant? No visits to the doctor, she worked extra long hours, and I even caught a few visits of you visiting a bar, _while _you were pregnant. It wasn't such a surprise that you suffered the miscarriage," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"I didn't know I was pregnant when I went to the bar!" Lucrecia argued, moving to Vincent's side and gripping his arms. "You have to believe me, I never would've hurt our child."

"That's not all," Yuffie said, her eyes on Vincent again. "She asked your stepfather to get her pregnant after she lost the baby and that plan backfired because he blackmailed her into marriage, and besides, any smart person knows that you can't get pregnant so soon after a miscarriage." Yuffie paused for a moment. "Hmm, a man blackmailing a woman into marriage. Sound familiar?" she asked softly.

Vincent pushed Lucrecia away and couldn't believe all he was hearing. It was like being in one of those episodes of the cheesy soap operas that Yuffie had enjoyed watching. "How did you learn all this?" he asked Yuffie.

"You'd be surprised how many people are willing to talk with a little bit of gil," Yuffie said with a shrug.

Lucrecia grit her teeth and slowly approached her. "You will not get away with this. Why don't you try explaining where you have been all this time? Why is it that you show up nearly a year after your supposed death and with a different man on your arm? Or are you going to argue that he's _just a friend_?" Lucrecia sneered at her.

Yuffie couldn't explain just how satisfying the sound of bones crunching under her palm was, and she was sure that she had broken Lucrecia's nose. Watching in satisfaction as Lucrecia crumbled to her knees and gasped out in pain, Yuffie turned back to the man who was still her husband. "I was in a coma for eight months, and it took me a while to recover from it. As soon as I opened my eyes, all I could think about was you and my family. But then I was made privy to the news that you had moved in with the woman I most despised in the world. That didn't make for something that I wanted to come back to," she said before walking out of the office and to her secretary. "Will you please make sure that the trash on the floor in my office finds its way out?"

"Yes, Mrs. Valentine," the woman said.

"Kisaragi," Yuffie corrected. "Or if you'd like, simply call me Yuffie. I stopped being Valentine a long time ago. I will be back later in the afternoon," she said before beginning to walk towards the elevators. A moment later, as she stood waiting for the elevator, she became aware of his presence at her back, as well as his distorted reflection on the shiny elevator doors. "Leave me alone, Vincent."

Instead of leaving, he closed the distance between them even more, his lips nearly caressing her shoulder, right where her shirt fell over it. Her dark hair rippled like a sleek onyx waterfall, and he had to wonder why she had kept the strands at that length. "I didn't want to believe that you had died. A part of me knew because there had been no body to mourn, but another part wasn't too sure. There wasn't a day that I did not think of you," he murmured.

Yuffie shook her head and sighed. "Hearing that you thought of me everyday isn't going to make it all better," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I am aware of that," Vincent replied. "But it should help with the knowledge that I feel nothing for Lucrecia. I couldn't feel anything for her after you had been in my life."

"Nothing justifies you going back to _that_," Yuffie said stubbornly.

Vincent shook his head and then reached out to grip her chin, forcing her to turn around and to look at him. "She offered me comfort when I was in the dark. When I felt as if I had lost the world. Wouldn't you have clung to anything if you'd had the chance?"

"Anyone but her, Vincent," Yuffie said with a shake of her head. "I told you before, and I stand by it. I would've forgiven anyone but her. It's too late for you to make things right. My lawyer is working through the divorce process and should contact yours soon. I'm not asking for anything from you; I am happy keeping the half of the company that my father built, which is already in my power. We need to do this peacefully, because if you fight me, I will take from you all that you have left," she said acidly.

"There is no place in your heart for forgiveness?" he asked quietly, as the elevator doors opened and many people stepped out.

"I'm tired of forgiving you for all the times you've hurt me. I'm done," Yuffie said seriously. "Besides, I have plans for my future, and you're not in them."

Vincent looked up and saw that her eyes were on Genesis, who had been one of the many to step out of the elevator. "Yuffie..." he snapped, gripping her arm as she turned to go.

They had a struggle for a few seconds until Yuffie nearly wrestled her arm out of his hand. _"I'm done, Vincent," _she stressed. "I will see you at the next meeting. Until then, I expect to not see you again," she said before walking off with Genesis, smiling at him in greeting.

It was too bad that Yuffie was done, Vincent thought, catching a glimpse of those bright, brown eyes before she disappeared. He had never been one to give up so easily and this would not be a first. Besides, he had gotten what he had wanted and married her, hadn't he? Vincent closed one hand into a fist as he stepped into the elevator. He was very much far from done. He would not give up on Yuffie.

…………

If there was one thing Tifa hated about her job, it was that she hadn't been able to bring her daughter with her. Lily was growing into a beautiful baby and already she was attempting to roll over, though she was too far from being able to sit up. It seemed to Tifa that her little girl would be as stubborn as she and Yuffie put together. Smiling at the face-shot of her and Lily that was sitting on her desk, she felt her eyes fill with tears when she thought of her parents and her uncle, and how much they would miss. Tifa would've given anything to have them all back, to have their support and their love. She missed her uncle Godo terribly.

She was still in the process of working up her courage enough to speak to Zack and to tell him that he had a daughter with her too, but it wasn't as easy as it sounded. She had broken his heart, and he had broken hers. There was so much pain between them now that she didn't know if their situation would ever get better. But Tifa couldn't be so unfair as to keep daughter from father and vice versa. There was a knock at her door and Cloud stepped through, carrying with him the only person who could make all her problems fade away with a sweep of her long lashes. "Where's mommy's sweetheart?" Tifa asked, standing and moving to take Lily into her arms.

"Right here," said Cloud with a smirk.

Tifa just slapped his shoulder and kissed her daughter on the cheek. "What are you two doing here?"

"Well, I wanted to take a break from all that work I do at home," he said sarcastically. "So I decided to give her babysitter a break and bring her to you. Have you had lunch yet?"

Tifa shook her head and smiled when blue eyes glanced up at her from under a warm hat. "Do you want to try a job here? I'm sure that there's something you can do," she said with a grin.

Cloud shook his head. "I'm better off tinkering with motors and stuff. Unless there's a job like that for me here, I don't think I'll like my job," he said with a shrug, reaching over to squeeze Lily's chubby cheek.

"What are you going to do with your life then?" Tifa asked, grabbing her purse and walking with him out the door.

He shrugged and stepped into the elevator with her. "I'm thinking about opening my own garage here in the city."

Tifa made a face. "That wasn't exactly what uncle Godo had in mind when he sent us all to school," she said.

"I know, but he never did take into consideration the fact that I wanted to do different things than you. I mean, I can't make a living out of hacking into systems. That's a frowned upon career," he said with a smirk. "You and Yuffie have your business to take care of. Let me do what I want."

Tifa just rolled her eyes at him and finally nodded. "Fine. But you're going to help us celebrate once you open this garage, won't you?"

"Of course," Cloud said patiently. "Now where should we go for lunch?"

…

"You shouldn't put that in your mouth," Zack advised the girl in his arms. "Great... now we _have_ to buy it. Don't you get tired of all the stuffed animals you have at home? You barely fit in your room!" he exclaimed, grinning when a set of shining green eyes looked at him. The baby just babbled back at him and kept sucking at the stuffed whale sitting in her chubby wrists as he cradled her.

"Zack, I found this cute little dress that she can wear the next time we have dinner with my mother," Aerith said happily, showing him something pink with frills.

He made a face as he looked at the baby. "Isn't there something _nice _around here? I mean, this place is expensive enough to have nice things, right? What's with all the frills and pink? She has enough pink, Aerith, and other colors do exist," he said smartly.

Aerith glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "I happen to like pink and I happen to like frills. Do you have a problem with that?" she asked him slowly.

"Hey," he argued. "This kid is half mine and _I _don't like frills."

"What? Would you prefer it if I dressed her in boys clothing? Would that be to your liking?" she snarked.

"No, not boys clothing, but look at that baby..." he motioned towards a baby girl sitting in a stroller a few feet away. She had the most endearing eyes he had ever seen. "She's wearing the decent kind of pink, and no frills," he stressed.

Aerith parted her lips to give him a piece of her mind when she saw just who was pushing the stroller. Then she watched, stunned, as Tifa stepped over and took the baby out, pulling the pacifier from her little mouth and offering a bottle. Zack's eyes seemed to be riveted as well as he watched Tifa laugh and cradle the baby so easily. He shook his head, trying to comprehend what he was seeing and then Tifa looked up and towards him, the smile dying on her face as Zack looked from her to the baby in her arms.

"Um..." Aerith started, not knowing what to say. She looked at Cloud and he just looked right back at them. "She's a beautiful baby," she said.

Tifa nodded and stepped over a bit to catch a glimpse of the baby girl in Zack's arms. She smiled serenely. "So is she. Rose, right?"

Aerith nodded and looked at Tifa. "What's her name?" she asked, motioning to the baby in Tifa's arms.

"Lily," Tifa replied, feeling awkward as Zack kept staring at her and the baby.

"Lily and Rose," Aerith whispered.

"Uh, we should get going. It was nice seeing you," Tifa said before pulling Cloud along, trying to avoid Zack's gaze.

"What the hell was that?" Cloud asked her once they were out of the store.

"I don't know," Tifa gasped out in worry.

"This was a good time as any to tell Zack that he's the proud father of two little girls," Cloud said, voice laced with irony.

"Don't start with me, Cloud. I was working up to tell him and then this had to happen. This was not how I wanted things to happen!" Tifa exclaimed. She looked down at her baby and felt tears begin to prickle her eyes. "Way to go honey. I'm having a crappy moment and you have to add your two gil, right?" she asked, grabbing for the diaper bag. "I'm going to change her diaper and I'll meet you at the food court?"

Cloud nodded with a heavy sigh. "Do you want me to get you a smoothie?"

"Sure," Tifa said with a forced smile before walking away.

Cloud just shook his head and wondered what Tifa would do once Zack confronted her. Because he _would _confront her. He had looked stunned when he had first seen Tifa and the baby, but Cloud was sure that Zack would snap out of it soon enough.

……

Aerith could tell that Zack was trying to work through what he had just seen. She took the baby from him and sighed. "Why don't you go take some air while I pay for the things we want?" she asked him gently.

Somehow, Zack knew exactly what she was doing. He shook his head. "Aerith..."

"Zack, I ruined things between you and Tifa. It's time that the two of you cleared many things up. Do it now, before she leaves and you lose your chance," she pleaded.

Zack looked down at their daughter and then at her. "I don't think I want to talk to her just yet. That baby... she must be Cloud's," he said, and to the both of them it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than her.

"Zack, just go. I'll meet you in the food court," Aerith said with a peaceful smile.

He just frowned and walked out of the store and into the main mall. Wandering aimlessly, he froze when he caught sight of Cloud, who was sitting in a chair, sipping a drink and watching the baby, who was sitting in her stroller. Wondering briefly on where Tifa could be, he decided to check the restrooms. He waited outside, pacing impatiently and running his hands through his hair in agitation. His brain was refusing to even think of the fact that the baby Tifa had had could be his too. He didn't want to hope just to have her tell him that the child was in fact Cloud's. But she and Rose seemed to be around the same age. Had she really waited so little to sleep with another man?

He was so distracted that when he turned, he nearly ran right into her. Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him and she bit her lip nervously. They said nothing to each other for a long moment, until she began to sidestep him in order to leave. "How old is your daughter?" he asked, watching her shoulders tense.

Tifa turned to look at him, her complexion a little pale. She swallowed hard before darting her eyes away from his. "Why do you care?" she asked him quietly.

"Because she looks to be the same age as Rose," he said flatly.

Tifa realized that it was his way of asking her if the baby was his. She needed to tell him. She couldn't keep hiding it, but at the same time she knew he would be angry that she had kept something so important from him. "Zack..."

"Was she conceived before we broke up or after?"

"What are you accusing me of?" Tifa asked quietly, her eyes burning with flames.

"That maybe we're both cheaters," Zack snapped right back in a quiet tone.

Tifa scoffed and made to leave again. She would _not _tell him about their daughter when he was being an ass and trying to put blame at her feet too. She was guilty of their break up, but because of entirely different reasons. He whirled her around abruptly and Tifa found his lips slammed against hers. She struggled with him for a moment, shoving against his chest, but his arms were wrapped tight around her, pressing Tifa into his chest. It was either let him have his way, or hurt him badly, and she really didn't want to physically hurt him. Not yet, at least.

"You and I are the same," he hissed, pressing her into a small alcove right next to the ladies restrooms. He bit her lips enough to send tingles across her mouth before kissing her again. She couldn't even bother to stop him again, just letting him kiss her ferociously, as if he were trying to devour her and make her burn from the inside out.

Then his words registered in her slow brain and she shoved him back, getting space between them since his arms had loosened. "I waited to break up with you before I went to Cloud. You and I are _not _the same," Tifa spat before she walked away quickly.

Zack stared after her and nearly yelled in frustration. Damn it, but she had kissed him right back! She couldn't feel much love for Cloud if she had kissed him back with the same longing and intensity. Aerith was right, they had many things to clear up and one of those had to be if Lily was truly Cloud's. Something about that baby had called to Zack, and if his suspicions were correct, and Lily was his, he and Tifa would have big problems.

……

Aerith gave Cloud a shrewed look as she walked over to stand by him. She was giving Zack the time to talk to Tifa because she knew they both needed it. "She doesn't look like you," she stated calmly.

Cloud froze and stopped rattling Lily's favorite toy. He looked up at Aerith and shrugged. "Not every baby looks like their parent," he said nonchalantly.

"Maybe it's because you're not her father?" she asked gently.

"That's not something that I want to talk about," Cloud said, smiling as he looked at her daughter. "She has your eyes."

Aerith nodded and smiled. "You've done well, helping Tifa raise her baby, but we both know that she already has a father. I know Tifa didn't leave Zack to go back to you, so there's no need to lie."

"No one is lying," Tifa interrupted, taking the stroller and moving to go. "Take care of your baby and yourself," she said politely, before she and Cloud began to walk away.

"What happened?" Cloud asked, noticing the frazzled look on her face.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," she said darkly.

"You didn't tell him he was Lily's father, did you," Cloud stated, not bothering to make it a question.

Tifa shook her head, her eyes eerily dry. "I'm not really to tell him."

Cloud just sighed and shook his head. "Whatever you say, Teef. But the more time passes, the harder it will be later on."

Tifa just sighed and offered no comment. She knew that he was right, but there was no point in telling him that. She just hoped that when she did tell Zack that she had his baby, he didn't continue to believe that Cloud was Lily's father.

………

"Would you mind me asking where you have been this entire time?"

Yuffie looked up from her glass of red wine—a thought of how much Vincent liked that particular brand had flashed through her mind—and shook her head. "I was in a coma. Some people saved me and waited for me to wake up. They took care of me," she replied with a small smile.

"Will you be returning to your husband?" Genesis asked her curiously.

Yuffie gave him a cool look. "Now... that I do mind you asking," she replied with a cheeky grin.

"I only ask for my own personal agenda," Genesis replied, taking a sip of his drink as they sat in a private booth at a fancy bar.

Yuffie sighed and couldn't say that she had ever minded having Genesis desire her. What woman would? "I'm not looking for anything serious now. I want to take advantage of my freedom."

Genesis smirked, blue eyes glinting at her. "But you're not free just yet."

The ninja leaned forward and motioned for him to get closer. When they were nearly nose to nose across the table, she smirked. "You should know that if you want to get on my good graces, it won't do you any good to make comments like that."

"Point taken," he replied, moving to lean back. "I am not looking for anything serious either. We can have a fairly _beneficial_ friendship."

Yuffie wondered if she was imagining what he was implying. "You would be content with just sleeping with me?" she asked him bluntly.

Genesis shrugged. "I would enjoy any type of contact with you, even if it was only conversation."

Yuffie thought about it for only a moment and then made up her mind. Besides, it would work well in her quest to make Vincent feel what she had felt when she had found out he had spent all those months with Lucrecia. Never mind the fact that he had left Lucrecia as soon as he had found out that Yuffie was alive. Yuffie stood from her seat and motioned towards the exit. "How about you give me a private tour of your home?" she asked.

Genesis gave her a shrewd look and then stood, nodding. "It will be to your liking. I assure you," he nearly purred, walking out with her.

He drove her car to his place, staying silent the entire way. Once they arrived, Yuffie was amazed to see a house made up almost entirely of windows. He pulled up in the front and even stopped to open the door of the car for her. Yuffie smirked to herself and took a curious look around the house. It was modern and expensive, and she liked it very much. Genesis showed her around and Yuffie swallowed hard when he ended his mini tour with the bedroom.

The blinds were closed and his bed was neat and with simple white sheets. After seeing everything so fancy, she was surprised to see how plain he liked to sleep. There was just something very intimate about being in a single man's bedroom. She started when warm fingers traced across her collarbone. She looked up into his eyes as Genesis closed the distance between them and slid a hand around her waist.

"I've wanted to do this since the moment I met you," he murmured, sealing his lips against hers.

His kiss wasn't overwhelming or invasive, but it felt empty somehow. Even after she kissed him back and her arms slid around his neck. She broke off with a gasp when a gentle hand slid down the back of her thigh and his lips trailed down her neck. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to put her mind into it, but she couldn't. All she could think of was the look on Vincent's face as she told him she had slept with Genesis. It didn't bring the feeling of satisfaction the way she had imagined. She scowled to herself and arched when she felt Genesis' hands begin to inch her skirt up. He kissed her again, before she could protest, but when she felt his fingers skim the inside of her thigh, the illusion broke.

"I can't," Yuffie gasped, pushing away from him.

"What?" Genesis asked in a displeased tone.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this. I thought I could. I thought I would be able to just do this casually and not let it bother me, but I can't," Yuffie explained, smoothing down her skirt and pushing her hair over her shoulder. That was one thing she had always disliked about long hair, it always got in the way at inappropriate moments. "I'm sorry," she said before turning and walking off.

Genesis didn't follow her. Instead he grit his teeth in anger and walked over to his living room to pour himself a drink. He watched her go through narrowed eyes and shook his head. He wasn't ready to give up on her, the same way he knew Valentine wouldn't. If it was the last thing he did, he would have Yuffie Kisaragi one way or another, and Valentine wouldn't stand in his way.

……

She couldn't help the stupid tears that nearly blurred her vision as she drove. She couldn't even sleep with another man just to spite Vincent; how was she supposed accomplish some type of revenge if she couldn't do something _that _basic. Well, it wasn't as easy as it sounded. Yuffie knew that if she had gone through with it, she would've regretted it in the end. She was just sorry that she had messed with Genesis' head in the process.

As she arrived at her home—the place she had once loathed to live in—she left her car behind a sleek black vehicle she didn't recognize. She looked up at the mansion that Godo had left to her in his will, and felt her heart hurt a little more. There wasn't a single thing that didn't remind her of her father in this place, but she couldn't bear to even think of selling the place. That was why she, Tifa, Lily, and Cloud were now living there. As she stepped inside, she let out a sigh and threw her keys into an expensive, crystal bowl sitting just inside the door before pulling off her jacket and throwing it onto the back of the nearest chair.

As she walked off to her room, she pulled off her boots and ended up doing a weird hopping dance on one leg in the hallway. Closing her door quietly, she was thankful that Tifa was asleep so that she didn't ask any questions. Yuffie knew Tifa wouldn't judge her for what she had done, but she didn't want to get scolded by her cousin. Not on that particular night. Besides, it was a miracle that Lily wasn't asking to be fed at midnight anymore, so her cousin had been able to catch up on some much needed sleep. Moving to unzip the back of her skirt, and then to unbutton her top, she saw movement in the dark from the reflection of her mirror. Slipping a long, thin blade from the inside of her skirt stealthily, she flipped on a lamp and sent the blade sailing.

Vincent grunted and threw himself onto the floor before the thing could pierce him right between the eyes. He stood slowly and saw that the blade was now embedded in one of the bedposts behind where his head had been. He moved gracefully to his feet and said nothing as his eyes lingered just inside her shirt.

Yuffie looked down and noticed what he was looking at before she jerked the sides of her opened top closed. "What the hell are you doing in here?" she snapped, turning to walk into her closet to change. She knew he would follow, though it didn't bother her. He had seen her naked way too many times for her to keep being embarrassed.

Vincent followed her with a frown on his face. "You shouldn't hide your scars from me," he said gently. Instead of ogling her, the way he would've done months ago, his eyes had been drawn to the marred skin of her stomach.

Yuffie sighed in irritation and nodded to herself. So he wanted to see her scars? Aside from the one on her once unblemished stomach—where a piece of shrapnel had pierced her from the explosion—she had one on her back which she had opted to not get removed. She slid off her top, her back to him, and shook her hair so that he could see it.

Vincent stepped up behind her and skimmed a finger over the burn mark all over her left shoulder blade. She twitched under his touch before she pulled on a plain white t-shirt and then some shorts. He couldn't even begin to imagine how she felt. She had woken up scarred, alone, and to the news that he had betrayed her. He wanted to show her that he loved her, but he just didn't know the best way to accomplish that. Even he—with his conniving ways—couldn't think of a good way to show her that all he wanted was to be with her again. "I—"

"Should leave," Yuffie said before walking out once more. "You have no business being here. I told you I didn't want to see you until the next meeting."

"Where were you?" he asked her darkly, the image of her leaving with Genesis coming to mind.

"With Genesis," she replied nonchalantly, her eyes meeting his and challenging him.

"Have you forgotten that whether you like it or not, we are still _married_?" he growled, closing the distance between them.

"Right. Like you have any right to demand faithfulness from me. Grow a brain, Vincent," she said derisively.

He sniffed, barely perceptible to her, and scowled. "Have you been drinking?"

"A glass of wine or two with Genesis. Then he took me to his place," she said with a smirk. "He has the most interesting house made up of many windows. And a very soft bed."

Vincent couldn't contain the fury then. He knew where Genesis lived and it was in a house that Yuffie had just described. The thought of her with another man brought a bad taste to his mouth and anger bloomed in his chest. Yuffie would be no one else's. As she turned to walk towards the door, he pulled her back to him, his lips on hers. Yuffie grunted and fought him, using nails and teeth in order to force him to let her go, but he didn't budge. He lifted her off the ground, forcing her head against his.

Yuffie growled with the effort to fight him and not kiss him back. Why was it that she had to fight herself to _not_ kiss him? She wanted to, and it was nothing like her kiss with Genesis had been. She pulled at his hair, trying not to think of how soft and silky the unruly strands felt, and was not at all prepared when Vincent toppled them onto her bed.

"I love you," he panted once he couldn't hold the kiss anymore. The words froze Yuffie in place and she stared up at him, her chest heaving. "I. Love. _You."_

When he kissed her again, she didn't fight him, though she knew she would kick herself for it later on. _Damn it. This is not how things were supposed to be! _Yuffie thought in annoyance. But she would figure out what to do later. Vincent's mouth was working its magic and her brain was beginning to shut down. If he thought that this was them making up, he was sadly mistaken. Her rampage was far from over.

...

...

...

...

...

Hmm... so Vince thinks he can kiss all the troubles away, huh? And Zack _still _doesn't know that Tifa had his baby too. There's still a few things that need to be resolved, but we're closing in on the explosive ending, and it's been such a long ride. I've never written a fic this long, so thank you for hanging with me this far. For those of you who reviewed anonymously... Star Anise, MsRainey(soon, I promise!), Muffy, and Jrock junkie, thank you so much. I am so grateful to everyone who leaves kind words. You inspire me to write more. I'll see you all as soon as I can!

Joey


	26. Sabotage

.............................

**Sabotage**

.............................

Staring into the darkness of what had been her old room, and which she had redecorated, Yuffie tried to make sense of her life as it was now. She had allowed Vincent to have his way with her, but the way that he had touched her earlier that night had nearly set her to tears. How could he touch her as if she were something precious when she was trying so hard to hurt him?

Sitting amongst a disarray of sheets, she stared down at Vincent's bare back and took a moment to inspect him as he slept on his stomach. He had many old, faded scars of his own that she hadn't really taken any notice in while they had been living as a married couple. It made her wonder about his past and what he had gone through to get them while he had been in the Turks. She knew enough from the report they had stolen a long time ago, but Yuffie was willing to bet that there had been a lot more that she hadn't known of Vincent.

Running her fingers gently over the scars on his back, she thought of her own. Every time she saw them after showering, or when changing her clothing, she thought about the job gone wrong, the eight months of her coma, and of not coming back when she'd had the chance to spend time with her father. She couldn't even begin to wonder on the pain he had felt over her supposed death and now it was too late for her to beg for his forgiveness.

Her breathing hitched and she stood, moving to grab her robe, which was casually strewn over the back of a nearby chair the way she liked to keep it. Sliding the silk garment on, she felt a distinct change from the one she usually had on hand. The silk was sleeker and more slippery, and it smelled like Vincent. Looking down, she realized that it was the robe that he had given to her back when they had first married, the one of black Wutai silk that had looked like her mother's.

"You should be sleeping," said his quiet voice from the bed, making her jump slightly.

Yuffie tied off the robe at the middle and shrugged. "I slept for eight straight months. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and I can't go back to sleep," she replied, turning her head slightly to look at him. He looked very inviting, laying back with a thin sheet covering his waist, his hair in disarray, but she wouldn't take the silent invitation to get back into bed with him.

Vincent frowned and sat up, his eyes holding hers. "Why did you wait so long to return?"

"I wanted to plan the best way to hurt you," Yuffie murmured, walking towards the large sliding door that lead off to her own terrace. "I just... never even thought of how much I was hurting my father too. I've spent the better part of my life being completely selfish."

Vincent sighed and stood, pulling on his boxers before approaching her. "Sometimes we become selfish to protect ourselves from the world," he said quietly.

Yuffie turned to look at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "Is that why you went back to Lucrecia?"

His blood-red eyes settled on her. "I told you before that she offered me comfort when I thought that you were well and truly gone. What would you have done, had I been the one to die and you had stayed behind?" he asked curiously.

Yuffie hadn't really thought of it that way. _What_ would she have done? Well, for one, she wouldn't have accepted Genesis. At least she thought she wouldn't have. "I'm... not sure," she admitted.

"Wouldn't you have tried to find solace in anything that would help?" Vincent asked. He paused and then chuckled bitterly. "But of course, that would've been something you would have done if you'd felt anything remotely special for me."

The ninja didn't know what to say. This was certainly not the moment to accept that she had been in love with him since before the first time he had told her he loved her. "How did you feel when it finally dawned on you that I could really be dead?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Vincent took her hand and forced her arms to uncross as he brought it to his lips. "I had finally found someone to care about besides myself, and then I lost her. How do you think I felt?" he asked her instead.

Yuffie swallowed the insane urge to cry. She hadn't cried since the day they had buried Godo, and somehow, a small gesture and a few words from Vincent were enough to threaten the dam. She shook her head. "Maybe you should leave now," she nearly whispered.

Vincent shook his head and took a step forward, his fingers sliding under her chin and making their eyes meet. "I felt... I felt as if a bright light had been snuffed from my life. I admired Tifa's determination to keep thinking that you were alive, but a part of me—the part that came to life to protect myself during my Turk years—told me that I should resign myself and move on. I did not return to Lucrecia because I loved her, but she did offer me comfort and a shoulder to lean on. Before you... I wouldn't have needed anyone to do that for me. I'm not the same man I once was. But..."

Yuffie blinked and two lone tears slid down her cheeks. "But?"

"But it seems that you are the same girl that I married. The same woman who thinks only about herself—and possibly about her closest family—but you never stopped to think how I would feel with your absence," he said. "Even now, you don't care, do you?"

Brown eyes slipped closed and she forced him to release her face. "I thought that you were happy with Lucrecia. I already told you why I stayed away. I thought that you were living your life with her and I wanted to plan the best way to make you hurt," she hissed quietly. Her eyes opened and she turned to him, determined to hold back her tears.

"And you did—you _have_ made me hurt. Do you think that I am happy, seeing you with that man that you returned with? Or with Genesis? Do you think I'm happy now?" Vincent asked her seriously. "Are you happy with all this? With all your little schemes of revenge?"

Yuffie's bottom lip trembled momentarily, but she bit down hard on it and shook her head. "I haven't been happy in a long time," she admitted. "Since my mother died."

Hearing those words made Vincent's heart ache in his chest. "Then... give me the chance to at least try to make you happy."

She looked at him. "I don't think I have it in myself to be happy. Not after my father died and I didn't get the chance to ask for his forgiveness. I guess that's my punishment for spending my life thinking about only myself."

"Thinking about yourself isn't a bad thing. It's how we learn to survive without getting hurt. It becomes something bad when you think of _only _yourself and you hurt other people in the process. Believe me, I say that from experience," said Vincent seriously.

"Do you regret marrying me?" Yuffie asked.

"Every single day," Vincent said quietly. At the stiffening of her posture, he shook his head. "I don't regret getting to know you or having you in my life. I just regret the way I forced it to come about."

"We've hurt each other so much," she whispered, shaking her head. "Just... accept the divorce, Vincent. I won't... I won't do anything else to hurt you. I think we've both done enough. Just accept peacefully and we can go on with our lives."

"I do not... think that is possible. Going on with our lives. After having met you, it will be hard to forget you," he said, leaning forward and touching his forehead to the side of her head.

"I think it would be best for the both of us," said Yuffie, feeling her breath catch when one of his hands closed around hers.

"Answer me one thing. If you are honest and say no, I will give you the divorce peacefully," said Vincent, his lips on her temple. Yuffie nodded hesitantly and waited. "Do you love me?"

She froze at his soft spoken words and drew away from him, her eyes meeting his in a stupor. The fact that she couldn't automatically answer and lie about it made her angry. Damn Vincent and his stupid question! "What's the point of you knowing if I do or I don't?"

Vincent shook his head. "It will make it easier for me to decide whether it is best for me to fight for your love or not."

Yuffie shook her head rapidly. "Just leave, Vincent. Give me the divorce and move on with your life!" she nearly shouted.

"I can't do that," he replied.

"Why not?" she asked, tears threatening her again.

"Because whether you like it or not, you have become deeply embedded here," he said gently, tapping his chest over his heart and watching as tears clung to her eyelashes. "Now… I need you to answer my question," he said with a sigh.

Yuffie shook her head and stepped back, a frown on her face. "I can't tell you what you want to hear. I just… I can't. You have a better chance at being happy with someone else than you do with me." She couldn't believe that the words were coming out of her own mouth, but it was too late to take it back. She was giving him the chance to back out of all the hurt they had caused each other. "I'm done hurting you, Vincent. I just need you to let me go in order for this to work."

Vincent couldn't believe what she was saying. Only a few days ago she had been angry enough to break Lucrecia's nose and now she was giving up? "I think I much preferred the selfish Yuffie. Broken Yuffie is one that I do not like," he said quietly.

Yuffie gave him a half smirk and looked away from him. "I think I've been selfish Yuffie and broken Yuffie for many years now, they're one in the same. I just hadn't realized it until now," she murmured. "Selfish Yuffie does anything to defend herself, and I realize now that it's not who I want to be. You… just bring out the worst in me."

"I… will not take that as a compliment," Vincent said with a long sigh. "This is the end for us then?"

She turned to look at him and nodded. "Go now, before selfish-broken Yuffie decides that she still wants revenge."

"You talk as if you have a split personality," Vincent said, taking a seat and pulling on the rest of his clothing.

Yuffie leaned against the wall, next to the sliding door before turning to look at him. "Maybe I do," she replied. A great part of her still wanted to see him hurt, but she was willing to leave him alone if he did the same. All her plans for revenge had gone down the drain at his touch. She'd had an epiphany as soon as their love making had been over. She loved him, and desired him, but there was too much pain. Screaming revenge over everything hadn't change that. Even knowing that he had been with Lucrecia hadn't been enough to stop loving him. And though his _betrayal _was still raw and present in her head, she knew that they both wouldn't be well and truly happy with each other. They needed distance. Maybe she should go back to Wutai and leave things alone in Midgar.

After pulling on his shoes, Vincent stood and looked at her, his gaze softening when he realized that she had been watching him the entire time. He took a step forward and she shook her head. "Leave, Vincent."

He shook his head and pulled her against him, leaning down and pressing his lips against hers gently. Yuffie dug her fingers into his shirt and found herself kissing him back. When he drew away, he stared into her eyes and came to a resolution. "I'm not giving up on us," he said before he turned and walked away. At the door, he turned back to her and let out an explosive sigh. "I know you love me. It's only a matter of time before you admit it."

Yuffie watched him go and shook her head, walking off to make sure that he left and didn't decide to just lurk around. She passed Lily's nursery and could see that the baby was sleeping soundly in her crib. She smiled slightly to herself and continued on her way, catching sight of the front door as it closed. Walking off to the home office that her father had spent so many sleepless nights in, doing work and finding the best investments, she stepped in and was transported to nearly fifteen years before, standing in that exact spot, only much shorter. She had been six years old and all she could remember from that age was a father who worked and worked.

He had never been around. She and Tifa had learned about their periods and training bras from the nannies. She had never held it against her father though, but she did feel that if she'd had a mother figure in her life, maybe she wouldn't have turned into the spoiled, selfish girl she had become. Sighing to herself, she approached her father's desk and sat in his chair, leaning against the backrest. She blinked and the tears fell then. She cried silently, torrents of tears leaving her eyes as her chest heaved, her emotions finally taking her over.

"Oh, Leviathan. Why'd you have to die on me, old man?" she asked the dark room. Shaking her head to herself, she let out a hiccupping breath. But amidst her despair, her sadness, and her anger there was a sliver of hope. Vincent wasn't willing to give up on them. Now the question was, was _she _willing to give up?

……

Hazy blue eyes blinked as she tried to keep her eyes open. Tifa smiled and ran a hand through thick, black hair. Was it just her, or was her baby the most beautiful baby she had _ever_ seen? She giggled and at the sound, Lily's eyes came open once more. "Soon you're going to meet your daddy, sweetheart," she whispered. "I promise."

Once she was sound asleep, Tifa placed the baby in her crib for her morning nap and stepped out of the nursery once she was sure that she would remain asleep. She greeted the babysitter as she arrived and smiled. "How are you this morning, Mandy?" she asked.

"I'm very fine, Ms. Tifa, thank you for asking. Where's Lily?"

"Taking a nap in her nursery. I'm just going in for a few hours and a meeting, but I'll be home early. Call me if there's any emergency, okay?" Tifa asked brightly.

"Of course. Have a nice day!" the girl said with a wave.

Unlocking her car, Tifa nearly threw in the portfolios in her hand and hoped that she didn't catch too much traffic. She checked the time and made a note to stop somewhere for a very unhealthy breakfast. As soon as she pulled out of the driveway, she completely missed the car that slipped in before the gates closed.

Zack sighed as he parked his car right at the front door and security approached him. "You were not given clearance to enter the premises," said one man.

"I need to see Yuffie. Tell her that Zack needs to see her. She knows who I am. Just tell her please," Zack said.

The men gave him a suspicious look and one pulled out a phone to call Yuffie. He spoke rapidly for a moment, and Zack wondered if Yuffie would give him the chance to see Lily. That was why he was there in the first place. He had needed to see the baby again, to make sure that he hadn't imagined that connection he had felt the first time he had laid eyes on her.

"He's cleared," said the man, glaring at him. "You should be happy that Miss Kisaragi answered, otherwise we would've been able to bodily force you off of the property," he said before they walked away with his comrades.

Zack shrugged to himself. They could've tried, but that didn't mean that they would have been able to accomplish their goal. He stepped into the large mansion when a maid opened the door and smiled at her as she led him towards the sitting room. "Would you like anything to drink?" asked the woman politely.

Zack shook his head. "No, thank you. I'll just wait for Yuffie here," he said, watching her nod and walk away. Once he was sure that she wasn't around to see him, Zack quickly made his way towards the staircase and took them two at a time. He passed various rooms with opened doors until he arrived at what was very obviously the nursery. Letting out a long breath, he stepped inside, noting the white, pink, and oak theme. It was a beautiful room, a contrast to Rose's all-pink room, courtesy of Aerith.

He walked slowly towards the crib, knowing that her caretaker should've been somewhere nearby and would discover him at any moment. His eyes landed on the girl in the crib and he smiled when he was met with big, blue eyes. His heartbeat quickened as she let out cooing noises and began to flail her arms and legs, wanting to be picked up. He reached inside and pulled her into his chest, closing his eyes as he took in her baby scent and the soft feel of her tiny body. It was an extremely different sensation than when he held Rose, but the same rush of love was traveling through him.

There was a gasp from the door and he turned to look at a young woman he didn't recognize. She looked afraid and opened her mouth to scream, but he shook his head. "Please don't!" he said quickly. "Yuffie knows who I am. I was about to marry Tifa about a year ago!"

"Give me the baby!" she said quickly.

"No, please. I just…" Zack trailed off, looking down at the baby. "Call Yuffie," he pleaded.

The girl didn't need to. Yuffie frowned and stepped into the nursery, already dressed and late to get to the office. "What are you doing here?" she asked curiously.

Zack looked at her and shrugged. "I wanted to meet Lily up close."

"While Tifa wasn't here?" Yuffie asked, eyes narrowed. She looked towards the babysitter and smiled. "Go ahead and go finish your breakfast. I'll call you when I leave so that you can come and watch over the baby."

"Okay," said Mandy before she turned and walked away.

Yuffie turned back to Zack and sighed. "Tifa will be angry if she finds out you were here while she wasn't."

"You have to tell me, Yuffie. Is Lily… is she my daughter?" Zack asked, cradling the infant in his arms expertly.

"That's not something that I have a right to talk about. You'll have to speak to Tifa and ask her," Yuffie said.

"I don't think she'll tell me," he said with a long sigh, smiling as a tiny hand squeezed his finger. He couldn't believe that he was holding a tiny piece of Tifa in his arms. It would make him the happiest man in the world if Lily happened to be his as well.

"Talk to her Zack. I can't tell you if you are or aren't Lily's father," Yuffie said.

Zack sighed and nodded. He didn't want to leave the little creature in his arms, but he knew that he needed to see Tifa. "I…"

"Yuffie, you should've left ten minutes ago and we're late for the meeting but I forgot the financial plan and…" Tifa trailed off as she stepped into the nursery and caught sight of Zack with her daughter. She looked at Yuffie in question and the shorter woman shrugged.

"He snuck up here. I made Mandy go back to the kitchen. I'll meet you at the meeting and I'll stall for as long as I can, but I need you there," Yuffie said, giving her shoulder a squeeze before she walked out the door.

Tifa watched her go silently and then turned to Zack, who was calmly rocking Lily in his arms. She looked quite comfortable and content and Tifa had never realized that blood ties existed to the extent she was seeing. Lily usually kicked up a fuss if she was picked up by a stranger, but she was calm in Zack's arms. Tifa sighed. "What are you doing here?" she asked him calmly, approaching father and daughter.

"I… wanted to meet Lily up close. Something about her called to me, Tifa. You have to tell me. Is she my daughter?" Zack asked her quietly.

Tifa was stunned silent by his question. This was the moment she had been dreading and that she could no longer shy away from. She had promised her uncle Godo to tell Zack the truth. "W-what would you think and do if she was yours?" she asked hesitantly, her eyes meeting his and holding.

"I think… I would be the happiest man in the world," he replied honestly.

"Why?" Tifa asked, curious.

Zack looked at the baby in his arms and smiled. She had Tifa's face, but underneath it all there was something very familiar about her. He just couldn't tell what it was. "Because she would be a piece of me and a piece of the woman that I will love for the rest of my days."

Tifa was sure that if he kept talking, she would burst into tears, but she shook her head. "What about Aerith?"

"What about her?" Zack asked with a frown.

Tifa scoffed. "Aren't you two living together? Aren't you a couple?" she asked before she could stop herself.

Zack let out a bitter laugh. "Right, Aerith," he said with a heavy sigh. "You ruined me for other women, Tifa. I can't love anyone else but you," he muttered.

She couldn't deny that his words caused her heart to beat faster, but there was so much hurt between them. Would they ever be able to get over it?

He continued. "I haven't been with Aerith in a romantic sense for a long time. That night with her I made a mistake that I can't take back. I don't want to anymore because Rose was born from it and I won't regret having her. But you can't really judge me if this baby is really Cloud's. You just… have to tell me. Is Lily mine, or is she Cloud's? Put me out of my misery," Zack murmured, pleading with his eyes.

Tifa felt a few tears escape her hold and she looked away from, hugging her arms around her as she prepared to finally tell Zack that they would have a child in common for the years to come. That didn't mean that they would kiss and make up, but it would ensure that her daughter had her father with her. "Zack…" she trailed off, hearing his cell phone interrupting.

Zack shook his head and pulled out the small phone. Seeing the name, he placed it to his ear. "You rarely call me. What's going on?" He listened and a worried look made its way onto his face. "Are you sure?" he questioned urgently. "Okay, I'll be there as fast as I can. Be ready." He closed his phone and looked at Tifa, who was looking worriedly at him.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

Zack shook his head. "Rose has a fever and Aerith is worried because it won't go down," he said. "We need to take her to the doctor."

Tifa nodded and walked over to take Lily from him. "I hope she's okay."

He nodded and was thankful for her words. "We haven't finished this conversation Tifa. I _need _to know," Zack said seriously.

"Come back when Rose is better. We'll talk then," Tifa assured him.

Zack nodded and leaned forward to brush his lips against Lily's forehead. "Goodbye, sweetheart," he said with a smile. That close, he was tempted to kiss Tifa as well, but she was giving him a look that made his heart ache in his chest, and he stopped from moving forward once more. If he had come to know something about Tifa during the time they had lived together, it was that her eyes truly had been the windows to her soul. At the moment, those windows were wide open and he could nearly see the depth of her love for him. It made him question Lily's paternity again, but he filed it away for a later time. Right now Rose needed him. "Goodbye, Tifa."

Tifa nodded and offered him a watery smile. "Goodbye, Zack," she said, keeping her back to him as he walked away. Instead she hugged her daughter to her and swallowed back her sobs. How could she truly go on pretending that she didn't love him? "I'm sorry I've deprived you of having a father baby. I promise that you'll be with him soon. I won't keep making more mistakes that could harm you," she whispered into Lily's hair.

The fact that he and Aerith hadn't started a relationship after Tifa had broken his heart made something in her lighten. He hadn't betrayed her even after she had hurt him by breaking off their relationship the day before their wedding. She just hoped that they would be able to work together to raise Lily well, even if they never ended up together again. Tifa was willing to put her heart on the back burner if that meant that Lily could be happy.

Sighing to herself, she made her way out of the room and towards the kitchen to drop off Lily with Mandy. She was beyond late now and she knew Yuffie would have her hands full with handling the old, grumpy business men that had once upon a time been her uncle's friends. She didn't wish that upon anyone. So by sheer force of will, she put thoughts of Zack and their broken relationship in the back of her mind. She'd have time to cry and mull things over later.

………

If there was one thing that could be said with certainty about Genesis, it was that he hated to lose and was a sore loser in the few instances when he did lose at something. It was a trait that he shared with the woman sitting in front of him. "Will you be needing surgery on that nose?" he asked curiously.

Lucrecia merely glared at him and refrained from touching the bruised appendage. "Next week," she muttered. "Now… what brings you here?"

"Something that interests the both of us," Genesis said, leaning back in his chair. At her questioning look, he explained. "I want Valentine out of the picture," he said darkly.

"Don't even think about killing him," Lucrecia snapped.

"No… not killing him per say. Just killing him in Yuffie's eyes," Genesis said calmly.

"How?"

The red haired man sighed. "By tipping the police off to the fact that he could've been the one responsible for Godo's death."

"But he wasn't, was he?" Lucrecia asked slowly.

Genesis smirked. "For all I know, he could be. I just meant that we can have him investigated by the police. Yuffie will begin to doubt anything Valentine says, and even if he's innocent, the seed of doubt will forever be there."

Lucrecia shook her head. There were so many holes in his plan. "What if he's prosecuted while he's truly innocent? I don't want him in jail."

Genesis shrugged. "Even if he's guilty, Valentine has enough influence and money to buy his way out of prison," he said in a bored tone. "I just want to drive as much space and doubts between him and his precious wife. I wanted you to know so that you can help me. Together I am sure that we can push doubts the size of an entire continent between them."

Lucrecia thought about it for a long moment. She was being given a chance to drive Yuffie away from Vincent, but she was risking having Vincent hate her even more if he found out that she had had something to do with Genesis' plan. "What guarantee do I have that Yuffie will stay away from him and won't believe a word Vincent says?"

"You leave that to me. I will be sure to fill her head with thoughts as well," Genesis said. "All you have to do is help me plant some sort of circumstantial evidence so that the police can look deeper into Valentine as a subject."

Lucrecia looked doubtful still, but she finally nodded. "I expect that he won't come out physically hurt in all this?"

"Of course. He'll only be _emotionally_hurt after Yuffie refuses to take his side," Genesis said with a shrug.

"You sound sure that Yuffie will not believe him," she said.

"Yuffie is still young and volatile. I can guarantee that she will not believe in him," Genesis said, completely sure of himself.

"Fine. Gather what you need and then call me. I need to get some work done now, so if you don't mind?" she motioned towards the door.

"Now, now. Is that any way to treat your only brother?" he asked her with a smirk.

"I'm an only child," Lucrecia replied with a small smile and a shake of her head.

"Oh, yes. I forgot that you always did hate me because while you were sent off to a school in another country, your father married my mother and I was born from that union," he said tauntingly.

"Have a nice day, Genesis," Lucrecia called.

"I plan to," he said before he was gone.

Lucrecia just hoped that their little plan didn't backfire on them in the end.

…………

After working in silence for nearly an hour, Tifa finally broke it. "I came close to telling Zack that he's Lily's father," she said.

"I slept with Vincent," Yuffie added.

They stared at each other and then Yuffie motioned for Tifa to continue. "He got a call from Aerith that Rose was sick and he had to leave before I could tell him."

"But you've decided to finally do it?" Yuffie asked.

Tifa nodded. "For the sake of both my daughter and Zack. I promised him that we would talk again once Rose was back to normal," she said, sighing. "What about you? I didn't even think Vincent could get into our place."

Yuffie's eyes narrowed. "I thought that you had left him in. His car was parked outside and I found him in my room," she said quietly. "I think we need to find ourselves some different security. I don't want people who are so easily bribed in my house," she said in annoyance.

"You're not getting to the point," said Tifa.

"Right," Yuffie muttered. "Well, we argued and then one thing led to another, blah, blah, blah. In the middle of the night it occurred to me that if I didn't leave things alone, that I would spend my life hating and wasting away with my revenge. I promised dad that I wouldn't. He wanted me to be happy and I know for a fact that the only way I can be happy is by putting distance between Vincent and me."

"You haven't considered forgiving him?" Tifa asked.

Yuffie shook her head. "We've hurt each other way to much in order for a forgiveness to fix anything," she replied. Her intercom buzzed and Yuffie answered her phone, frowning. "Okay, send them in," she said. Hanging up the phone, she turned to Tifa. "It's the police," she said.

They turned towards the door when two men in nice suits stepped in. "Midgar Police, ma'am. We need a moment of your time," they said, flashing their badges.

"How can I help?" Yuffie asked.

"We are investigating the murder of your father and we would like to ask you some questions," said a man with dark hair and equally dark eyes.

"Take a seat," Yuffie said. "Tifa is my cousin and this concerns her as much as it does me. Feel free to ask any questions in front of her."

The man nodded, but they did not take a seat. "As you know, we are currently investigating the murder of your father. The breaks from his car were cut and at the moment, all the people around him are suspects. Including you, your cousin, and your husband."

"Vincent?" Yuffie asked.

"Yes ma'am. He was a partner of your father's who stood to gain the most with you and your father out of the picture. We are also looking into your accident. Would you have any sort of reason to think that your husband may have wanted to harm you?" asked the man.

Yuffie shook her head. "No," she said softly. She couldn't even swallow the thought. Vincent couldn't really have… no, no. She couldn't even think it through. "Even if I had truly been killed, everything my father left to me would've passed onto Tifa's hands," she said. "Besides, my father never truly believed that I have died."

"That leads us to another question. Where were you the past year?"

"I woke up from an eight month coma in Wutai. I woke up alone and have no recollection on how I got there," Yuffie said calmly.

"But our records show that you were in an accident here in Midgar where you were believed to be dead. How did you end up in Wutai?" asked the man, his expression closed off. "Did you not consider that maybe your husband was the one who put you there? To get you out of the way?"

Yuffie shook her head, trying not to look to sure of it. It wouldn't do if they caught her in the lie and she accidentally let slip that she knew Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo. "I do not think so. Despite all our marital problems, Vincent wouldn't hurt me." _At least not physically_, Yuffie thought to herself. Emotionally it was a different story.

"Do you know if there's anyone who would want to hurt your father?"

"No," Yuffie said, biting her lip when it trembled. "But when you find that person, I will personally make sure that they rot in jail for the rest of their life," she said venomously.

"Thank you, Mrs. Valentine. If something new comes us, we will contact you as soon as we can," said the man seriously.

"Have a good day, gentlemen," she said with a nod. Once they were gone and the door was closed, Yuffie let out a ragged breath and Tifa stood in worry, quickly approaching her and pushing her face between her knees.

"Breathe, Yuffie. Breathe," she said in worry.

Yuffie took great gasping breaths and tried to calm herself. Once the panic attack had passed, she sat up slowly, clutching at the edge of her desk. "Tifa… Tifa I don't want to believe that Vincent was responsible for my near death and my father's murder," she whispered.

"I know, sweetie. Just… don't jump to conclusions until we see what the police find out, okay?" Tifa asked, rubbing her hair.

Yuffie pressed her face against Tifa's stomach and cried again. She didn't to believe him capable of what the police were implying, but Yuffie knew that Vincent had more than enough knowledge to make it happen. She had wanted to let it all go and get away from him, but if she found out that Vincent had had something to do with her father's death, there would be no place on earth where he would be safe from her.

"Yuffie," Tifa murmured.

"Don't say anything, Tifa. I won't accuse him before there's proof. I don't… I want to believe that he had nothing to do with all this," she said in a shaky voice. And truthfully, her heart was telling her that Vincent hadn't hurt her to that extent. She was just worried that her head was urging her to think otherwise.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Okay, so I made a big change in this chapter concerning Yuffie's character. Or at least I attempted to. I had someone offer me some great criticism and I tried to work it as best I could in this chapter, so I changed a few things around and removed some things from my original outline in the last few chapters. I want Yuffie to mature and stop being so hell-bent on revenge for every little thing, so a part of her wants to forgive Vincent and leave things as they are. But I still kept my sense of drama and the whole climax of this story is in the next chapters. Thank you for giving me input and concrit on this story.

Now, I want to thank everyone who took the time to review and comment. All of your words are greatly appreciated and I always go back to reread them in order to help with my muse. Thank you for your time. For now I must go, since I've been putting off my homework in order to update this baby and my _Knight_fic, so show me some love people! Have a great one and I'll see you all soon!

Joey


	27. Broken

.............................

**Broken**

.............................

Tifa felt her nervousness eating at her again. She wanted to get it over with, and though a part of her feared Zack's reaction, she knew that it was inevitable that he would be angry with her for keeping something so important from him. She stood outside of what had once been her home. She knocked twice and waited patiently. She cursed when no one answered. She knew she should've called ahead of time. Debating briefly on what to do, her eyes caught the locks and she wondered if Zack had kept the old ones. Biting her lip as she decided, she knew that she would be invading his privacy, but she couldn't stop herself even if she wanted to.

Using her old key, she inserted it into the lock and heard it click quietly, letting her in. Stepping in timidly, Tifa's eyes widened when she saw that the apartment had been kept the exact same way as it had been. All that was different was the added touches of a baby. A few toys and bottles were sitting in the kitchen. Tifa closed the door and smiled when she saw a soft pink blanket strewn on the back of the couch that Zack had kept from his old furniture. She sighed to herself and approached the bedroom she had once shared with Zack, wondering what she would find. Had he been sharing his bed with Aerith? They were living together after all.

Tifa felt her heart jump when she saw that his bedroom had remained the same as well. There were no extra touches of another woman, and neither had it been redecorated. She did remember that the place had two more bedrooms and she wondered if Zack had spoken the truth when he said that he and Aerith had nothing together aside from their daughter. "You know… some people call this breaking and entering," said a voice from behind her.

Tifa whirled around and found Zack watching her curiously as she stood in the middle of what had been their bedroom. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she parted her lips but no words came out. She finally regained her wits and lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have," she said before beginning to walk past him so that she could leave.

Zack grabbed her wrist and gently brought her back to face him. "Don't go," he said quietly.

Tifa sighed and nodded. She motioned towards their surroundings vaguely. "You kept the apartment the same. I don't suppose that Aerith likes that," she said, trailing off when she saw Zack's blue eyes watching her with some intensity.

"Why didn't you bring Lily?" he asked her instead.

She smiled at the thought of her daughter. "She was taking a nap when I left. Cloud… volunteered to watch her," Tifa said feebly, watching his lips set into a thin line at the mention of the blond man. She cleared her throat. "I hope Rose is doing okay."

Zack nodded. "She's healthy and beautiful. She must've caught a bug when Aerith took her to the doctor," he said. They were silent for a moment. "Are we really going to do this?"

Tifa frowned. "Do what?"

"Have small talk and keep putting off what I _need _to know?" Zack asked her seriously.

She ran a hand through her hair and shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "I… Zack, this isn't easy for me!" she said seriously.

"What's so hard about telling me whether Lily is my daughter or not? Geez, Tifa, just put me out of my misery!" he nearly yelled.

Tifa stared hard at him. "And what are you going to do if it turns out that she _is_ your daughter?" she asked him softly. She had asked him the same question back when he had snuck into her home to hold Lily. She was curious to see if his answer was the same.

"First off, I told you that I would be happy about it. I stand by my words, but secondly, you'd have to explain to me why it is that I'm finding out that I have another daughter more than a year later," he said quietly.

Tifa let out a shaky breath and nodded. "You won't… try to fight me for her, will you?"

"That all depends on how much time I can spend with her," Zack said. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her. "Is she mine, Tifa?"

She swallowed hard and held his gaze, even as hers filled with tears. "I… I kept her from you because I didn't want to disrupt your life. I thought…"

Zack expelled a harsh breath and couldn't believe what he was hearing. Judging from her words, he knew that she was accepting that he was Lily's father. "You thought what?" he nearly growled. "That you would get away with it? That Cloud would make a better father than me?!"

Tifa glared at him and the tears trailed down her face, even as her regret turned quickly to anger. "Don't you dare judge me for keeping this from you! You knew that Aerith was pregnant and you didn't tell me! I found out from her!" she yelled, forgetting that Zack hadn't known about that.

"What?" he asked slowly. Tifa shut her mouth with a snap and grimaced. "Did you break off our marriage because you found out that she was pregnant?" Zack asked her.

Tifa glared at the floor and didn't expect to feel Zack's hand on her arm, squeezing tightly. She tried to twist away, but he refused to let her go. "What does it matter now?" she grunted. "I was enough for my daughter until you found out about her."

"She's mine too!" Zack yelled at her. "Who do you think you are, Tifa?" he hissed at her. At her glare, he shook his head. "_You_ decided what best suited you, didn't you? _You _broke up with me. _You_ found out you were pregnant on your own. _You _decided that I didn't need to know why you were breaking up with me or that I was having another child. You're not god!" he yelled. "All _you_ are is selfish!"

Tifa grit her teeth and shoved him back roughly, causing Zack to stumble back into the black vanity that had been hers, making various trinkets clatter and fall with the impact. He didn't release her and they both nearly fell back with the force. "Let go of me!" she yelled.

"Why? So that you can run off with Cloud and keep allowing him to raise _my _child?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Tifa snapped, highly aware that he was still leaning into the piece of furniture and that she was practically sprawled all over his front. "Cloud takes care of _me_," she said smugly.

Zack suddenly released her and nearly shoved her back before he stormed out of the room. Tifa's expression almost crumbled as she realized that she had hurt him. Damn it! She walked out after him, but Zack was pacing the living room, a look of pure anger on his face. Tifa couldn't remember a time when she had seen him so mad before. "Did you come here today with the express purpose of hurting me? Shit, Tifa. Maybe I should just go ahead and give you a butcher knife so that you can finish carving my heart out!" he snapped.

Tifa shook her head. "I was angry, I didn't mean…"

"Yeah, you never mean to be hurtful, right? Like the way you were when you broke up with me for another man, or for the sake of one of my kids, or even when you kept a daughter of mine from me, right?" he bit out. "Gee… I wonder how you're really like when you _are_ trying to be hurtful."

Tifa bit her lip to keep from either slapping him or punching him. "Look…"

He interrupted her before she could say anymore. "I don't think you and I are ever going to fix our situation. Especially after you kept something as important as a child a secret from me. I don't care if you decide to go off and marry _him _now, but I do care about my kid. I will visit her when I wish, and we'll figure out a schedule of the time she and I will spend together later. If you're not reasonable, I'll talk to my lawyer and we'll fix it in court," he said, tone cold.

Tifa knew she should've expected him to retaliate for her hurtful words, but she would not allow him to think that she was a doormat. "I will be reasonable because I know that I did wrong by keeping Lily from you, but don't cross me, Zack. _Don't _threaten me either. Yuffie and I have one thing in common and it's that we don't take well to threats. Our daughter needs you, but if we can't get along in front of her…" she trailed off, leaving her words hanging between them for a moment.

"We could've avoided this, Tifa," Zack said quietly, his eyes resembling two blocks of ice as he looked at her.

"No, we couldn't have," she replied, shaking her head.

"You cut met out of her life without even considering how it would hurt both her and me. I missed nine months before her birth, and nearly four after. She doesn't know me," he said, his cold tone melting into a hurt one. "I don't know her either and you can't even begin to understand how that feels. To be a stranger in my daughter's life while another man has been taking my place."

Tifa felt her own anger drain away, and felt shame, regret, and sadness take its place all at once. She turned her back to him and let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Zack stared at the shining locks of her dark hair and felt his hands itch to touch her. Despite all that they had said and done to each other, he couldn't find it in his heart to hate her. If it was possible, he loved her now more than before. They had a daughter together, how could he not? "I… I think sorry isn't going to fix anything."

Tifa nodded. "I know," she whispered. "I didn't mean to come here today to hurt you even more. I say things that I don't mean when I'm really angry."

He understood that better than she thought. "Same here," he muttered.

"Did you mean what you said?" Tifa asked quietly.

He stared down at his feet. He'd said a lot of things. "Mean what?"

"That you wouldn't care if I married Cloud?" she asked him softly, watching him out of the corner of her eye.

Zack swallowed hard and sat down heavily on the couch, planting his elbows on his knees. "Of course I would care. Didn't you believe me when I last told you that you're the only woman I've been able to truly love?"

Tifa nodded and turned to look at him. "We need to work on this if we want our baby to grow up healthy emotionally and physically," she said. He just nodded. "You've done it with Rose, I know you can do it for Lily now too."

At the mention of Rose, his thoughts inevitably moved to Aerith. "I think I still need to speak to Aerith about this."

"Don't blame her for everything. She has her own share, but Zack… I would've wanted to hear about her pregnancy from you. Not from her," Tifa said with a sigh.

He nodded and stood. "She still shouldn't have told you. I was going to tell you, Tifa. You have to believe me," he said seriously.

Tifa shrugged and nodded. "I do believe you. But I'm willing to bet that you were going to tell me after we married, right?" Zack was silent until she spoke again. "Thanks to our children, we have become different people, Zack. We're not the same people we were back when we were making plans to get married."

Zack nodded. "Yeah. Seeing a smile on Rose's face is pretty much all that matters to me now," he murmured. "I know that once Lily and I spend time together, we'll have a bond just as strong."

Tifa sighed and felt her heart swell in pain as she realized that there really was no fixing her situation with Zack anymore. She stared down at her hands before she nodded and began to walk towards the door. "I really hope we can get along, for Lily's sake."

Zack watched her go and slowly nodded. "We'll find a way," he said quietly.

Tifa stood at the doorway and looked back at him, her eyes filled with many regrets. She just sighed and walked out, shutting the door behind her. Zack ran a jerky hand through his hair and placed his head in his hands, trying to keep his composure. He was the father of two beautiful baby girls. He felt the love in his heart for them swell equally, but there was still a void in his life. Tifa was really with Cloud; at no moment in their argument had she denied it, but she hadn't accepted it either. Zack shook his head and let out a deep breath. His life would be dedicated to his girls now, even if it killed him to see Tifa every day and he wouldn't be allowed to touch her. He stood and walked back into his room.

Digging through a drawer by his bed, he pulled out a picture of Tifa and himself, hugging and smiling happily. He had taken it himself, and they had been having a good time at the fair. There had been no hurt, no lies, and no regrets between them. Sighing heavily, he ripped the picture in half slowly before throwing it into the waste basket. He would live only for his girls now. There was no going back.

……

Yuffie sighed to herself as she pulled up into the place that held so many memories for her, good and bad. The house was the same it had been when she had married Vincent and he had brought her to live there. Pulling up by the front door, she stepped out and walked towards the door. She rang the bell a few times, but when there was no answer, and she saw that Vincent's car was there, she let herself in, finding the door unlocked.

Inside, everything was the way it had been the last time she had been there. The lights were dimmed and completely dark in many parts of the house, but there was enough for her to see where she was going. The brightest lights were on in the kitchen, and as she slowly approached, she could hear the sounds of clattering kitchen utensils. Frowning, she came upon Vincent, cooking. She scowled and marched up next to him, pointing an accusing finger. "You said we were going to discuss the conditions for our divorce!"

Vincent turned to look at her, a smirk pulling at his lips. "We can discuss it during dinner," he said calmly. He motioned towards the island of the kitchen. "Have a seat," he said.

Yuffie shook her head. "Did you not understand that I was trying to be the bigger person and I was surrendering the war?" she asked.

Vincent just ignored her question and kept his attention on the food simmering on the stove. Yuffie grit her teeth and sat down on a stool, grabbing a nearby bottle of wine and pouring herself a glass. She couldn't believe that he was ignoring her offer of peace. She didn't _want _to socialize with him. All she wanted was to move on.

Vincent placed a plate of delicious smelling food in front of her and didn't miss the angry frown on her face. He wasn't ready to accept her defeat. Not before he made one last bid for her love and forgiveness. Having her give up wasn't something that sat well with him. He took a seat next to her and poured himself a glass of wine. "I don't want you to surrender," he said before taking a bite of his food. Not bad, he mused.

Yuffie sighed and took a forkful to her mouth, trying to smooth the frown away from her face. She was confused, and still angry, but she wouldn't pass up the chance to taste Vincent's cooking again. "You kept this place the same," she muttered after a long, silent moment.

Vincent nodded and turned his burning gaze on her. "Why would you think that I would change anything after you had 'died'?" he asked curiously.

She shrugged. "Maybe to move on and forget me," she said lightly.

His fork clattered onto his plate and Yuffie gave him a narrow look as he turned on his stool to fully face her. "I would never forget someone like you," he said seriously.

Yuffie looked away from him and took a sip of wine instead. Vincent watched her profile closely and noticed her eyebrow twitch slightly. He sighed. "I haven't slept in our bedroom since I found out about the accident," he said.

Yuffie nearly choked on what she was eating and she whacked herself on the chest to get the food back on its way. "What," she stated flatly.

"I haven't been in our room in over a year. Elmyra and the ladies keep it dust free, but I haven't gone in there for a while," he said, sipping his wine.

Yuffie ate silently for a moment and didn't know how to react to his news. He eventually went back to eat his own food and they were silent. "What else did you do while I was gone?" she asked.

Vincent finished off his wine and stood, motioning for her to follow him. Yuffie did so and didn't bother asking where they were going. She followed him into his office and blinked a little when he turned on the lights. He motioned towards where the Cerberus was sitting and Yuffie stepped forward, her eyes widening before she ran forward. "Conformer," she murmured, feeling her heart ache at the sight of her most trusted weapon. It was sitting in a case, polished and deathly beautiful.

Vincent came up behind her and sighed. "I had it removed from the explosion site by a friend in the police force," he murmured.

Yuffie let her hands fall away before she touched the glass case over her beloved shuriken. "I think I should go," she said, turning and trying to walk towards the door.

Vincent blocked her path with his body, wrapping his arms around her. Yuffie stiffened and shook her head. "The police… came to see me," she choked out.

"About what?" he asked, gazing down at her.

"They asked me if I had any reason to believe that you would hurt my father," Yuffie said, staring at the buttons on the front of his dress shirt.

Vincent felt his eyes narrow. "Yuffie… no. You can't believe that I had anything to do with his accident." When she didn't reply, he shook her a little. "Yuffie!"

"I don't know what to think," she admitted. "I don't… want to think that you hurt him, but you wanted his company so bad."

He shook his head. "The company would've gone to either you or Tifa. I still had no way of getting my hands on it."

Yuffie stepped back and shook her head. "Vincent, you need to tell me now if you hurt him," she said seriously, finally meeting his eyes.

Vincent shook his head forcefully. "No. Yuffie, I wouldn't have hurt him no matter what. It would've been like hurting you!" he said seriously. At the look on her face, he sighed. "I know I did hurt you, but I wouldn't have put your life in danger."

She didn't say anything for a moment until he cupped her face and turned her to look at him. "What can I do to make you believe me?"

"You can give me a divorce," Yuffie said quietly.

He let out a long breath and pushed her chin up. "Will that get you to believe that I would never have hurt you or your father?"

Yuffie pursed her lips. "Maybe."

"Fine," Vincent said. "Fine. But first, I need to say goodbye," he murmured, lowering his lips to hers.

Yuffie closed her eyes and felt her breath shudder out. If this was goodbye, fine. She didn't want to keep him in close proximity if it did turn out that he had hurt Godo. Still, if he was willing to give her a divorce, even while he tried to convince her that he loved her, it had to mean something, right? It was scary how easy it had become to touch him again. It felt as if the year she had been gone hadn't happened. It would've been so easy to forget all her troubles and hurts, but she couldn't forget that her father had been murdered. Until they found the true person responsible, she would doubt anyone and everyone.

That night, Vincent broke through his promise of never going into the bedroom they had shared. Yuffie didn't know what it was, but she felt that there was something bad coming their way. She didn't know what it was, but she had the feeling that their troubles were far from over. Still, for a few hours she could allow herself to relax and let Vincent have his goodbye.

………

The following morning, Yuffie burrowed deeper into warm sheets and the lulling scent of familiar skin. The sun was shining brightly through the windows and when her fingers clenched, someone grunted. Yuffie opened her eyes and realized that her nails had dug into Vincent's waist. "Sorry," she muttered, drawing back her hand.

Vincent blinked as he looked around the bedroom he had refused to step foot in for a long time, even after he had found out that Yuffie was alive. He just hadn't been able to do it on his own. With Yuffie there, it had been so much easier, as if she had never been gone. "Stay with me, Yuffie," he murmured, tightening his arms around her.

Yuffie sighed as her cheek pressed against his chest. She didn't think he meant for the day. He meant for the rest of their lives. "I can't," she said quietly.

He let out a long sigh. He had known she would refuse even before he asked his question. "You truly want to end things here?" he asked, watching her as she sat up and turned to look at him. Her eyes roamed his face for a few seconds, as if memorizing him the way he looked.

"I truly think it would be best if we just stayed away from each other," she said, turning away.

"What's the saying… 'distance makes the heart grow fonder'?"

Yuffie shrugged. "I don't think I've heard that saying," she said, smiling slightly. Then her smile fell and she shook her head. "I should go."

Vincent stopped her from rising and pulled her back into the circle of his arms, kissing her before she could protest. When he drew away, his lips pulled into a smile when she wrinkled her nose. "I've kissed you with morning breath before," he said quietly.

Yuffie bit back a laugh and merely looked at him. His long black hair was framing her face, the silky strands sweeping her cheeks gently. He truly was a handsome man, and he seemed so different, but Yuffie couldn't do it. She couldn't hand over her heart to him again. If she didn't, maybe it would hurt less if it was proven that he had hurt her father. Yuffie let out a sigh. This was a first for her, not automatically assuming that he was guilty. Her heart was telling her to believe in Vincent but she knew that even if he was innocent, fixing their situation wouldn't happen soon or maybe ever.

Before either of them could say more, there was an urgent knock on his door. "Vincent, are you in there?" asked Elmyra.

Vincent sat up with a frown. "Yes. I'm here," he replied, red eyes narrowing.

"The police are here, Vincent. They're asking to see you," Emyra said.

"I'll be right out," he said, standing from the bed and searching for his clothes.

Yuffie felt her heart thumping painfully in her chest. She watched him turn to look at her and reach out a hand to cup her cheek. Then he turned and walked out of the room. She nearly fell face first off of the bed in her haste to get off, but she recovered and quickly dressed before racing out the door. The men that had gone to her office were the ones standing in Vincent's sitting room, showing him some papers. "What's going on?" Yuffie asked, her eyes narrowing when Vincent looked up at her with slightly wide eyes.

The police looked at her and then at Vincent. "We have a warrant for his arrest," said the one in charge.

"On what charges?" Yuffie asked, her body beginning to numb. She had an inkling as to why.

"He is the primary suspect in our investigation of your father's death. We cannot discuss this with you now, but we must take him in for questioning. We will hold him for forty-eight hours and then we will determine whether he will be formally charged."

Vincent moved towards Yuffie and shook his head. "You have to believe me, Yuffie. I didn't kill your father. I swear on my love, that I didn't do it," he whispered rapidly, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her to him.

Yuffie remained stiff and irresponsive in his embrace, her eyes closing as her heart began to beat painfully hard in her chest. She said nothing as he stepped back and gave her an incredulous look. Her eyes were filled with tears and she stepped out of his reach and shook her head.

Vincent felt something inside him break for the third time in his life. The first had been Lucrecia's betrayal, the second was Yuffie's supposed death, and now the third was this, her not believing in him. With a start he realized that it was his heart that was breaking. "Yuffie…" he trailed off when her gaze moved away from his. He turned towards the men with an empty void in his chest. She didn't… believe him.

Yuffie bit her lip and watched him go with the police. Her eyes were filled with tears and she didn't avert her gaze when he turned to look at her once more at the door. Then the other men were pulling him out the door, leaving Yuffie alone. A sob caught in her throat and she wiped her tears when Elmyra approached her. "He's not a bad man," she said.

If she only knew. "I don't know what to think," Yuffie murmured.

"I know about the job that he had in his younger years. Despite the things he did, he's not a bad man at heart. You can't believe that he hurt your father," said Elmyra gently. "Those months you were gone, your father spent a great deal of time here with Vincent. They both grieved you and were friends."

Yuffie nodded and the tears fell in quiet trails down her face. "I want to believe that he didn't hurt my father," she said. "I have to go. It was nice seeing you again."

Elmyra nodded and watched the young woman nearly run out the door. She knew that Vincent had never loved a woman the way he had this one, but there was a big wall separating them. She sighed to herself and thought about her own daughter, living with the father of her child and without being married. Why were young people so eccentric? Dating and marriage hadn't been nearly as difficult as they had been in her day. Shaking her head, she walked off to call Zack to let him know what was going on with Vincent. She had faith in the man that had been like her son. He wouldn't be capable of hurting someone dear to the woman he loved. She was sure.

………

Vincent paced his cell in agitation. He'd had nothing to do with Godo's death, and for the life of him, he couldn't think of anyone who would want to hurt him this way. Looking up he let out a sigh when Zack walked in and stopped in front of his cell.

"You've got five minutes," the guard told him before he walked away.

"What the hell is going on?" Vincent hissed.

Zack shook his head. "It appears that someone planted evidence in your office. It's circumstantial, but it's still something that the police will use against you if they don't fight the true killer."

"Evidence? What kind of evidence?" asked Vincent in agitation.

"Something about Godo's schedule on the day he died, plans for the company, and ridiculous little things. I know you didn't do it Vince, because Godo was the only connection to Yuffie you had," Zack said quietly.

Vincent ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. "Will I make bail if they press charges?"

"Angeal is the best, we both know that. He'll have you out of here in no time," Zack assured him.

Vincent looked at him for a few seconds. "…Yuffie?" he asked.

Zack gave him a grim look and shook his head. "Her lawyer is one of the most ruthless in the city, and he's also the best. I get the feeling that she will make whoever is responsible wish that he had never been born."

"Someone is obviously framing me and just counting on Yuffie to take me down," said Vincent quietly. He looked at Zack and shook his head. "We didn't even get to talk about your _daughters_," he said with a slight smile.

Zack shook his head, though his face brightened at the mention of his two girls. "It can wait. Getting you out of here is more important at the moment," he said. "Vince, I'll believe what you say, but… did you have something to do with Godo's accident?" he asked quietly.

Vincent shook his head and watched Zack release a relieved sigh. "No. I know our pasts aren't something either of us is proud of, but I didn't hurt Yuffie's father," he said seriously.

"Alright," Zack said, nodding. "I believe you. We just have to compile a list of your enemies. Maybe there we will find the person trying to frame you," he said.

Vincent resumed his pacing. "Tell Yuffie that I want to see her. Convince her, Zack," he said when he saw his friend start to protest. "She and I need to talk about this."

Zack nodded and offered no other comment. He really was no one to tell Vincent that seeing Yuffie would be a bad idea, but he felt as if it would be. He had nothing against Yuffie, mainly because she was related to Tifa and because Vincent loved her, but Zack knew that the other woman wouldn't stop until she destroyed Vincent if the evidence was enough to accuse Vincent. "Alright. I'll try to get her to listen."

Vincent nodded and took a seat on the cot provided. "I guess I'll just wait here," he said with a wry smirk.

Zack frowned. "Hang in there. I'll make sure that your Turk records can not be accessed in any way. The last thing we need is for your past to come into this. I'll come by and see you tomorrow," he said.

"Fine. I suppose I'll try not to suffer too much with these commodities," he said.

"I'll do all I can to help you out of this," Zack said before the guard opened the door and waited for him to walk out.

Vincent watched him go and laid back against the flat and uncomfortable mat. Laying a hand against his forehead, he let out a heavy sigh and hoped thetas had some luck convincing Yuffie to come see him. He needed to convince her that he'd had nothing to do with Godo's death. "This is my punishment for what I was and what I've done," he murmured to himself. In that moment, more than ever, he regretted all that he had done in his past. Including blackmailing Yuffie into marriage.

…………

When she arrived at the office, her secretary told her nervously that a man had forced his way in and was waiting for her. She had stormed into her office and was surprised to see Kadaj sitting there, waiting patiently. "You didn't have to scare my secretary," she said.

"Greetings to you too," said Kadaj. "I've got some very important information for you," he said calmly.

Yuffie took a seat in front of him and motioned for him to continue. "What is it about?"

"Well, first of all, Yazoo sends his regards," he started, a sly smirk on his face.

Yuffie managed a small smile. "Tell him that I hope he's doing good, too. Now, what did you want to talk about?" she asked, getting right to the point.

"Well, Yazoo managed to find out who we were going to turn the Shinra information to," Kadaj started.

She frowned. "The information wasn't for personal use?" she asked in interest.

The silver haired man shook his head. "No. But we did keep a copy of the information and I know for a fact that you did too."

"_How_ do you know?" Yuffie asked, eyes narrowed.

"We're a curious type of breed. We need to be in control of our surroundings and our actions," Kadaj said; depending on how the lights hit his eyes, they looked either green or yellow.

"You're right," Yuffie conceded. She hadn't even thought of the information she had taken from Shinra, since her life had been a whirlwind of emotions the past few weeks and she'd had no time. "I haven't even looked into it."

"That is…"

"…strange, I know," Yuffie completed his sentence. "It's been a weird time. Now… are you going to tell me or should we keep up the comparisons between thieves a little more?" she asked, letting out a long sigh.

"You're going to love this, or at least Yazoo said you would," Kadaj started with a smirk. "People close to you have been hiding a big secret."

Yuffie sat up straighter and listened intently.

…………

"You've got a visitor," called the guard as he banged the bars of his holding cell.

Vincent sat up quickly and rubbed a quick hand over his face. He had been dozing fitfully the entire night and morning, waiting for Yuffie or Zack to show up. His heart jumped when he wondered if Yuffie was the one who was there to see him. "Who is it?" he asked the guard before the man was out the door.

"Some pretty boy," muttered the man in disgust.

Vincent frowned. Yuffie was most definitely a beautiful woman, so she wasn't the one there to see him. He couldn't deny that it made his heart break a little—and he hated how susceptible he was to pain now—when he realized that maybe Yuffie had refused to come and speak to him. He looked up when the sound of footsteps echoed through the holding room. His eyes narrowed when they fell on the person he least wanted to see.

Genesis smiled in satisfaction and leaned back against the bars of the cell across from Vincent's; luckily it was empty at the moment. "You have no idea how gratifying it is to see you behind bars, where you belong."

Vincent sneered. "What are you talking about?"

"With you in jail, Yuffie is vulnerable and an easy prey to devour," he said slowly. "Did you know that I had her in my home?"

Vincent gave him a dry look. "Nothing happened. Yuffie belongs to me, body and heart," he said with a growl.

"How can you be so sure nothing happened? Did she tell you?" Genesis asked, taking a few steps closer.

"That's not any of your business," Vincent said darkly.

"In any case, it doesn't matter. You will not be leaving your cell for quite some time."

A sudden thought formed in his head and Vincent surged forward, grabbing for Genesis and narrowly missing grabbing his shirt. "You! You planted the evidence!" he yelled, rage taking over him.

Genesis smirked and shrugged one shoulder casually. "I may have pointed the police in your direction, but I'm not admitting to planting evidence," he said with a sarcastic note in his voice. "I believe in karma, Valentine. This is what you deserve after the thousands you killed years ago."

Vincent stopped at his words and wondered how and why Genesis knew about his past. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said calmly.

"I'm sure you don't," said Genesis snidely, staring him down. "But like I said. You'll stay here, and do you want to know how? Because of your own wife. She will make you rot in here for killing her 'dear daddy.' You'll never see the light of day again," he said with a feral grin. Vincent just stared at him, his expression closed off. "And just so that you don't die of boredom," Genesis said in a low tone. "I'll tell you a secret."

Vincent wanted nothing more than to reach through the bars and grab a hold of the other man, but he knew that Genesis would step back before he even had the chance. "I want you to leave," he snapped.

Genesis ignored his command and sighed. "I'll share my secret with you anyway." He forward and smiled, his eyes taking on a slightly deranged look. "You're out of the way, but… your bride is next."

Vincent moved forward again, but the other man stepped back quickly once more. "Lay a hand on her and there won't be a power on this earth that will be able to hide you. If even a hair is missing on her head, I will tear you limb from limb."

Genesis' arrogant look melted into one filled with cold rage as he stared back at him. "I know first hand what you are capable of, but you don't know what _I _can do when I have been wronged. Don't bother warning her, it'll be too late," he said before he began to walk away.

"I'm going to kill you!" Vincent growled, highly aware of where he was and that threatening someone's life was not the best thing to do at the moment, considering his predicament. "Guard! Guard!" he called. "I need to make a phone call!" he snapped. Damn it, the bastard had planned this from the beginning and now Yuffie was in danger.

If something happened to Yuffie because of the things he had done in his past, Vincent would never be able to forgive himself. For now, all that mattered was making sure she was safe.

...

...

...

...

...

Dunno if I got the whole arrest scene correctly. I don't know much about how someone is taken to get questioned or when they're arrested. If it's wrong, sorry! Okay, so the update was slower than usual, but I must blame school for that. I have to read and write all these friggin' essays and it's left me a little fried. It took me a while to find my muse to write this chapter, but I got there.

There are roughly five chapters left, give or take, depending on how the next three go, then I'll know for sure how long this fic will be. Always thank you very much for taking the time to read and review, whether you're new to the fic or readers who have been with me since the beginning. You're all awesome and you make me smile every time. Have a great weekend and I'll try to update as soon as I can!

Joey


	28. In the Dark

_Sorry it took so long to update. Enjoy…_

_Warnings: Mentions of torture. If it makes you uncomfortable, please don't read_.

.............................

**In the Dark**

.............................

Yuffie couldn't believe what she had come to learn in the last hour. Sprinting down the last stairs towards her car, she made a mental note to kick a couple of people's asses. She opened her phone as she approached her car and waited impatiently. "Damn it, Tifa, call me back!" she nearly yelled into her phone when her cousin didn't answer.

She shoved the phone into the pocket of her skirt and turned when she heard a noise echo inside of the parking structure. She frowned and jumped slightly when her phone began to ring. "Hello?"

"_It's me," Tifa said._

"Teef, I need to see you right now. Meet me where they're holding Vincent," Yuffie said quickly.

"_What's going on?" asked Tifa curiously._

"There are some things that I need to ask him and find out if he already knew about them," said Yuffie, dropping her keys and bending to pick them up. When she rose, she caught sight of someone behind her. She let out a breath.

"_Can't you tell me over the phone?" _

Yuffie's eyes narrowed. "I have to go. Just meet me there," she said, closing her phone and giving Genesis a look. "What are you doing, sneaking around behind people's backs?" she asked him flatly.

Genesis smiled. "I caught sight of you as you rushed down here. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry that Valentine turned out to be your father's murderer," he said softly.

Yuffie frowned at him and shook her head. "We don't know that for sure," she said.

Genesis shook his head at her. "I overheard the police when they came to investigate his office. They found proof, Yuffie," he said seriously.

_Proof? S_he moved back towards her car. "I've spent the majority of my life ramming myself head first into problems without asking questions. Vincent and I are still married and I will attack only after I am fully convinced that he is guilty. If he's not… well then, that's my business," Yuffie said rudely.

Genesis merely smirked at her cockily. "That will be a loss of your time then. But… I will be here for you, when you need me," he said before turning and walking away, a cool look on his face.

Yuffie frowned to herself and wondered what he was up to. Shaking her head, she rushed into her car and locked the doors. She really wasn't in the mood to deal with creeps at the moment. She needed to talk to her cousin and to Vincent right away.

……

Tifa bit her lip as she stepped into the room that was holding Vincent's cell. Her brain had somehow refused to think that he was the one responsible for her uncle's death, but her brain had failed her in the past. She wasn't sure of what to think. She started slightly when she saw that Zack was there, talking to his friend in urgent tones.

Their eyes met for only a moment and she looked away. In the process she turned to Vincent and he approached her quickly. "Where is Yuffie?" he asked.

Tifa frowned. "She's on her way here. She called me to tell me that there was something important that we needed to discuss."

"We?"

Tifa nodded. "She wanted both you and me to be here," she said. Looking down at her watch, Tifa sighed. "Yuffie should be arriving in five minutes. I'll go wait for her outside," she said, turning to go.

Vincent gave Zack a look and motioned with his head towards her. "Why don't you keep Tifa company and go wait for Yuffie outside?" he asked flatly.

Zack glared at him and shook his head stubbornly. Tifa's annoyed gaze fell on Zack, instead than on Vincent, and she scoffed. "I can wait on my own," she muttered.

"Yeah, apparently you can do many things on your own," he replied bitterly.

Tifa's body tensed and she forced herself to not turn and rise to the bait. Right now really wasn't the moment to get into another argument with Zack. She merely ignored his comment and walked out of the room.

"Idiot," muttered Vincent.

"Yeah, well I'm not the one sitting in a jail cell," Zack said snidely.

"Fuck off, Fair. You just found out that the woman you love had your child, you should be celebrating. Instead you're both hashing it out about the past and avoiding the fact that you love each other," said Vincent dryly.

"She's with Cloud," Zack said simply.

"Did she tell you that herself?"

"More or less."

"But she _lived _with you, she slept in your bed, she gave her mind and body to you, she was about to marry you, and now… now she's had a child for you. Did you honestly believe that she could stop loving you in one day?" Vincent asked him incredulously. "Think about it, Zack. I am more and more convinced that she broke up with you so that you could give your other daughter a family. You knew Tifa better than anyone else, doesn't that sound like something she would do?"

Zack sighed heavily and turned his back to his friend. "Yeah… it does sound like something she would do, but… she kept my daughter from me. I missed months and months of her life! Do you expect me to forgive that so easily?" he asked.

"Yuffie once forgave me for trying to get her pregnant behind her back," Vincent said quietly.

"This is different," Zack replied, calmer. "Besides, do you think she'll forgive you now, after the seed of doubt has been planted? If the evidence is used against you and you're formally charged, do you think Yuffie will believe you?" he asked, turning to look at him.

Vincent sighed and moved back to sit on the plain cot provided to the detainees. He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know," he said honestly. "I have done many things to her, I would… understand to a certain point if she does not."

They waited in silence for a while, expecting Tifa and Yuffie to return any minute. Vincent paced his cell and felt agitation race through him. He didn't want to think it was too late, but he had a bad feeling about everything now. He turned to Zack, who had been quietly thinking to himself, leaning against the bars of his cell. "This isn't another ploy to get you to speak to Tifa, but I need you to go outside and tell her what Genesis told me. Find Yuffie, Zack. I won't calm down until I am sure she's safe."

Zack frowned and nodded before stepping out. The cop led him out with a scowl on his face and Zack merely ignored him. He found Tifa outside of the station, her cell phone to her ear as she left a worried message. "Yuffie, call me back as soon as you can," she said quickly. Closing her phone, she turned and nearly ran into Zack, muttering an apology and sidestepping him.

"Any word?" Zack asked, feeling annoyed.

Tifa shook her head. "She should be here by now and I called her phone, the office, and home. I even called Cloud to see if he had heard from her, but nothing," she said rapidly. At the look on his face, Tifa's eyes narrowed. "What's going?"

Zack swallowed and told her all about Genesis and his threat of keeping Vincent in prison while he hurt Yuffie. "Vincent had me call her too and I couldn't reach her. That's why when you arrived with news that she was on the way, we decided to wait."

"Yuffie is in danger and you decided to _wait_?" Tifa asked with simmering anger.

"We thought she would be safe," Zack started.

"You didn't have a right to keep this from me!" she yelled angrily.

"Yeah, well now you know how I feel," Zack snapped.

Tifa's mouth closed abruptly and she fisted her hands to keep from replying. She strode off into the station and walked over to the front desk. "I need to speak to someone so that I can remove charges from Vincent Valentine," she said quickly.

Zack stepped up behind her and frowned. "Shouldn't you tell the police that Yuffie is missing?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I'm going to search for her myself and if I can't find her, I'll call the police. I'm sure the Genesis will not be able to resist bragging about it. Vincent needs to be outside so that we can get word from him and Yuffie. But… at this point we don't even know if he has her," she said quickly.

Zack's hand moved up to encircle her elbow, gently squeezing. "I… I do hope that she's okay. The last thing I want is to antagonize you at a moment like this," he said lightly.

Tifa looked at his long fingers from the corner of her eye and nodded. "We still have a lot of things to figure out," she said quietly.

"Like how to get along when we're in the same room?" he asked her.

She nodded but offered no other comment once the detectives in charge of her uncle's case approached her. Though her lawyer arrived while she was speaking to them and advised her to not revoke the accusation, Tifa ignored him. At least this way, Vincent would be able to make bail, even if he was later on formally charged. She needed him to find Yuffie. As she rushed out to her car without waiting for Vincent, Zack caught up to her.

"Where are you going?" he asked her quickly.

"To look for Yuffie," she said impatiently. "I can't just sit around and wait for Genesis to call us. I need to know that Yuffie is okay," Tifa replied.

"I'll go with you," he offered, opening the passenger door and getting in without waiting for her response.

Tifa just sighed to herself and decided that she didn't want to argue again. "I'm going to stop at home to see Lily. I need to make sure she's safe."

Zack nodded and offered no comment as she drove. Just as they were arriving at her home, her phone began to ring. Tifa pulled up against the curb and pulled it out quickly. "Hello?"

"_I haven't seen her and she hasn't contacted me any of those guys that saved her from the explosion," Cloud said._

Tifa ran a hand through her hair. "I'm going to look for her now, as soon as I get a sitter for Lily. Wait for me at home, okay?" she asked

"_While I wait, I'll access security for the office building and outside of our place. I'll let you know if I find anything once you get here," he blond replied. "Take care of yourself, Tifa."_

"I'm fine," she said quickly. "Zack is with me. I'll be home in a few."

"_Contact me if you find anything yourself," said Cloud before hanging up._

Tifa let out a long sigh and shook her head. No word or sign from Yuffie and she knew that her cousin knew how to take care of herself. But if even with her training Genesis had managed to take her… Tifa didn't know what to think.

"You can take Lily to Aerith. I'm sure she'll gladly watch over her," Zack said, his voice toneless as he stared ahead.

Tifa turned to look at him and noticed that his lips were pressed into a thin line. He was angry. She had lived long enough with him to come to know his every expression and she knew that Cloud's call and worry for her had gotten to Zack. This would be the perfect moment to clear up the fact she wasn't and _never_ had been with Cloud. Instead, she considered his words and didn't know what to think.

"Won't she be overwhelmed by two babies?" she asked him.

Zack shook his head. "She'll probably have Elmyra over. If you're going to look for Yuffie, I want our daughter to be somewhere safe and with people we can trust."

Tifa didn't point out that she didn't trust Aerith and that there was still a sore spot between them, but she knew that Zack was right. Lily needed to be somewhere safe while they searched for Yuffie. "Call her and ask her first if it's okay with her," she conceded, turning back onto the street.

By the time they arrived at her home, Tifa didn't feel the relief she would've, even after she was holding Lily in her arms, because Yuffie hadn't called and she hadn't arrived at the police station either. Zack took Lily from her and Tifa tried calling Yuffie's phone, the office, and even Cid to see if maybe she had gone over there. Nothing. "What are we supposed to expect?!" Tifa nearly yelled, pacing the nursery.

Cloud stepped in at the moment and the tension in the room rose, making Tifa sigh in exasperation. At her questioning look, he set down his laptop on the changing table, opening it and playing the video feed from the parking structure under the office building. "She had a run in with Genesis here, but he didn't do anything to her except try to convince her that Vincent is guilty."

"And?" Tifa asked impatiently.

"Nothing," Cloud said with a shake of his head. "There were only so many of the city's cameras that I could hack into and I see her in all of them. There's a space from where she takes the highway to get to the police station where there are no cameras. She was intercepted then," he said with a sigh. "If Genesis did take her, he did a damn good job at covering his tracks."

"There's no proof that I took her," said a voice from the door.

They all whirled around and Tifa surged forward, only halted by Cloud as his arms curled around her and held her back. "Bastard! Where is Yuffie?! What did you do to her?!" she screamed, forgetting momentarily that Zack was holding their daughter.

His blue eyes were cool and collected. "After I left Valentine in his jail cell, I went to work and to a meeting. I ran into Yuffie in the parking lot, but then I returned to my office for another meeting with Sephiroth. If you do not believe me, you can ask him and my secretary. They were in the office with me," he said.

"You're lying," Cloud spat. "If you don't tell us where Yuffie is, we'll gut you and spread your body parts all over the city."

Tifa wasn't at all shocked by her friend's words, because at the moment she very well shared the sentiment. "If Yuffie doesn't show up by tonight, I will file a report with the police _after_ we're done with you. They'll never find your body," she said in a deathly quiet voice.

Genesis managed a smirk. "I don't have anything to fear because I do not have her. Accuse all you want. The only criminal among us is Vincent Valentine and he will get his in due time. In the mean time, I will remain calm and _guilt free_ because I have done nothing to Yuffie. I wouldn't dream of hurting her," he said, stepping back and walking away.

"Let me go," Tifa hissed, angry tears blurring her vision. "I have to follow him to see where he's keeping Yuffie!"

Cloud shook his head and couldn't find a good grip on Tifa. It was in moments like those that he regretted being shorter than he would've liked. He noticed Zack setting Lily in the crib and then moving forward to wrap his arms around Tifa, giving him a look to back off. Cloud nodded once and grabbed his computer. "I'll see if I can find any camera even remotely close to the section of highway where Yuffie should've been in. I'll search on my own, and I'll call you if I find something," he said before he walked out.

Tifa sagged against Zack's body and felt tears of despair overflow from her closed eyes. "What if he's hurting her?" she asked softly.

Zack's arms turned her around and then hugged her in a gentle, but firm embrace. Tifa clung to him and couldn't think of a reason why Genesis would want to take Yuffie. "I have to look for her. I don't want to leave Lily, but I…"

"I know," Zack replied, pressing a kiss to her temple and rubbing her back. "I'm sure Yuffie will be okay. Sooner or later, Genesis will reveal what it is that he wants. In the mean time, we'll trace his movements."

Tifa choked back a sob and nodded. "If something happens to Yuffie…" she trailed off, shaking her head.

A cry came from the crib and they both turned to Lily, who could see them from where she laid and was demanding attention. Tifa drew away from Zack and picked her up. "We should go," she said, grabbing a diaper bag she always kept in case of emergency.

"Tifa," Zack said, stopping her before she walked out the door. Tifa paused and turned to him, Lily already wrapped in a warm blanket and with a hat on her head. "Yuffie will be alright. I know she will," he said with quiet conviction.

Tifa nodded and let out a shuddery breath. "Thank you for being here with me," she said. When he nodded, she turned and walked out the door. Yuffie _had _to be safe. If Genesis had dared hurt her, there would be hell to pay, Tifa thought with slow, simmering rage.

………

Vincent couldn't allow himself to feel the despair that had slowly been creeping up on him. There had been no word from Yuffie since she had dropped off of the face of the Gaia hours before and he didn't know where else to look. He had received calls from Cloud, Tifa, and Zack at separate intervals throughout the night. They hadn't been able to find any trace on Yuffie either.

Obviously, this was all a personal vendetta against him. Vincent couldn't recall ever meeting anyone named Genesis during his Turk years, and even when he had tried to forget a lot of his younger years, his years as a killer weren't so easy to leave behind. Meeting Yuffie had been such an enlightening and painful experience so far. She was everything he had needed, but everything he hated at the same time.

He didn't know what he would do if Genesis hurt her. Vincent knew that he would revert to the man he had been during his Turk years. Sliding a hand through his hair, he sighed and stood, walking out of his office. A thought entered his brain and he pulled out his phone and dialed. "Sephiroth, I need your help," he said quickly. He listened quietly to his brother's reply and nodded. "I'll be there soon."

He drove quickly towards the apartment Zack shared with Aerith and Vincent didn't catch the connection at first. When he was allowed in, he saw that Sephiroth was sitting in the living room, waiting patiently. To Vincent's surprise, Tifa and Zack were there too. "Anything?" he asked, a ray of hope invading his chest.

Tifa shook her head and held her daughter to her chest. "Nothing. Cloud has been searching security feeds around the city and hasn't found anything. We're following Genesis too, and he's been acting as normal as he can. From his office he went home, and hasn't left in a while."

"What did you need?" Sephiroth asked, an arm wrapped around Aerith's shoulders as she leaned into him.

"I need to contact Yazoo," Vincent said the name in distaste.

"Why?" Tifa asked before Sephiroth could even reply.

"I have a feeling that he may know something about all this," Vincent said. His instincts had never failed him before, and at the moment, they were telling him that his brother's relatives knew something.

Tifa stood and handed Lily over to Zack. "I'll contact him. Cloud and I need to do some searching of our own, and for that I need my computer," she said, looking at her friend and ignoring the tensing in Zack's shoulders. "I'll come back soon, don't worry," she said.

Zack stood and passed the baby over to Aerith before following Tifa towards the door. "Where are you going?" he asked with a frown.

"I'm going to do _anything _to find my cousin," Tifa replied not meeting his eyes.

"Look at me, Tifa," he said seriously. When she did, he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers. "Promise me something," he whispered. She let out a shaky sigh and nodded. "Promise me that you won't rush into anything alone, with only _Cloud_ at your side," he said the other man's name in distaste.

Tifa sighed and nodded. "Fine. I promise to tell you if we find anything."

"Not just tell me," he said seriously. "You have to take me with you. I won't ever let you walk into danger without me there to protect you," Zack said quietly.

Tifa smiled slightly and nodded. "We're calling a truce then?"

Zack chuckled lightly, the anger and bitterness lifting away. "I think so. We'll still have a lot to talk about after we make sure that Yuffie is okay. You must know that I will do anything to help."

"Okay," she said, feeling only a small amount of the weight in her heart lift. The rest would go once Yuffie was back with them, safe and sound.

"Let's go, Tifa," said Cloud, walking out the door.

"Alright," she said, turning to Zack. "Take care of Lily while you can. Tell her I love her," she said before she walked out the door.

Zack watched her go until the elevator closed before he walked back into his home. He took Lily from Aerith and walked away with her, wanting to spend some time alone with the daughter he hadn't known until a few days ago.

Aerith sighed sadly and looked at Vincent as he paced around the room. She was glad that Rose was already asleep and her baby girl didn't usually wake up too many times during the night. She was worried about Yuffie despite the fact that she and the other woman hadn't really been much of friends. Still, she hoped they found her soon.

"We should track this man," Sephiroth said to Vincent.

The dark haired man turned to him and nodded. "You'll help me," he stated, not bothering to question him.

"Is there anyone else who you believe that could be helping him?" Sephiroth asked, standing.

"I can't think of anyone at this moment," Vincent replied, shaking his head and rubbing a hand over his face.

Sephiroth turned to Aerith and pulled her to her feet and into a kiss. "I will return soon. Pray for me," he murmured.

"Because you can't pray for yourself?" she asked with a tiny smile. He merely smirked and inclined his head. "Help him find Yuffie," Aerith said seriously.

"I'll do my best," he replied, touching her cheek before walking out with his brother.

Vincent looked at him as they rode the elevator to the first floor. "Are you serious about it?" he asked quietly.

"Is this something that he should be discussing now?" Sephiroth asked, one eyebrow raised.

Vincent's gaze fell and he shook his head. "No, but I need to keep my mind off of what may be happening to Yuffie. If I start to think about it…" he trailed off, shaking his head.

Sephiroth couldn't even begin to understand what his brother was feeling, but he had a vague idea of what it would feel like to see Aerith get taken from him. It had seemed impossible for him to fall for someone like her, but it had happened, and he would do anything to protect her. He could only imagine the despair his brother was feeling. "It's serious," he said in a low tone.

Vincent nodded. "It's about time."

Sephiroth snorted. "Hojo would be proud."

They shared a sarcastic scoff. Vincent sighed as they stepped out of the elevator and walked towards his car. "We did a lot of things when we were young. You think this is karma?"

"I don't believe in karma," Sephiroth said with a shrug. "I believe in revenge and this is what it is. Yes, we were stupid in our younger years, but we can't take it back. All we can do is move on and be better people—assholes—but not monsters. Not killers anymore," he muttered.

Vincent smirked. "I believe that Aerith has made you smarter."

"Hmm… and your bride made you care," Sephiroth countered.

Vincent's mood sobered and he nodded. "That's why we need to find her. She has managed to bring out the good in me that I didn't know I had."

Sephiroth nodded and clapped him on the shoulder once. "We will find her. You can be sure of that."

Vincent nodded and was thankful that Sephiroth was there to give him support. Years ago, he would've shot him down and his own brother would've just teased him mercilessly about going soft. But now, Vincent appreciated that the other man was there to help him. He had to find Yuffie. His own sanity depended on it.

…………

With an electric jolt, Yuffie cried out and was forced awake. For a moment, she looked around, disoriented and couldn't get her vision to stop tilting. Once she forced her quick breathing to normalize, her eyes blinked until she could see straight. She realized then that she was sitting in a chair, tied with her hands behind her and her legs to the chair legs with special restraints the cut into her skin as soon as she moved.

As ridiculously clichéd as it sounded, everything around them was dark, the only light was shining directly above her and she felt as if she were a prisoner being questioned by the police. Yuffie let out a breath and winced when she felt a pull at the wound on her head. She could feel blood already dried on the side of her face, and her entire body hurt. With her vision slightly blurry, there was no way to examine her surroundings carefully to see any points of escape. Maybe during the day things would be clearer…

"Welcome back," said a voice that she couldn't place. She had expected Genesis, but it wasn't him. Either that, or he was changing his voice somehow. The person who stepped forward and into the light was wearing a mask and dressed in all black, the clothing giving no detail as to whether it was a man or a woman. "I've been waiting hours for you to wake up. I guess I hit you in the head harder than I thought."

"Who are you?" Yuffie asked, noting that around her wrists and attached to her collarbone were little wires. That had been what had woken her up.

"I am a friend of someone who has a personal vendetta against your husband. He figured that this Valentine character would suffer more if you were the one hurting in his place," the person said calmly.

Yuffie let out a long breath and refused to be cowed by some assholes who wanted to hurt Vincent. The person's _friend_ was someone who hated Vincent, and Yuffie didn't know for sure who it could be. The choked back a cry when painful zaps coursed through her body once more. "What do you want?" she asked.

"I want to do a thorough job," was the reply. "And I will. I must tell you though, that you should keep your eyes open, because once you fall asleep, you will be in for a very _rude awakening_."

Yuffie's hands fisted tightly and she refused to cry out when the zaps increased. By the time her captor was done, she was shivering and in tears from pain, but not once had she screamed or cried out. Her captor dragged her into a room surrounded by three clear walls made of glass and one that was solid and that provided a certain degree of privacy for a bathroom.

She landed with a painful thump on the ground when she was thrown in, and it took Yuffie a long time to just get to her knees and crawl towards the cot that was sitting in the far left corner. "Vincent," Yuffie whispered to herself. "Get me out of here… please."

"I'm afraid that won't happen for a while," said that voice from some sort of intercom in her glass cell. "If you'd like some company though, look at the folder sitting on the cot. It contains a few things that may or may not help you sleep."

Yuffie let out a breath and pulled herself onto the cot, reaching for the manila folder and realizing that it was holding large pictures inside. She pulled them out and nearly recoiled, her eyes zooming towards the person holding her captive. "W-what is this?" she asked softly.

"A recount of what your dear husband did back when he was still a teenager. Take a good look, _Mrs. Valentine_," said the person with sarcasm.

Yuffie bit her lip hard enough to draw blood as she stared at the… _massacres… _for lack of a better word, that were depicted in the images. Different bodies; different forms of death. She nearly gagged and crammed them back into the envelope. Vincent had changed. _Vincent had changed! _"Why are you showing me this?"

"You'll have to be broken in different ways before you're returned to your dear husband. Besides, this would ensure that you lost any form of fantasies that you held about the man that you know. It's best that you see him for what he is. A monster," said the person, slipping back into the darkness. "Because of him, you will suffer. Don't worry. No one will hear your screams here."

Yuffie closed her eyes and her breathing hitched. Despite not wanting to let Vincent's past influence her view on him, she was shaken. How had he been capable of killing people so coldly. Why? What kind of a human being could do such a thing to someone else? The tears fell again and she moved to curl on her side over the cot. What would be in store for her now?

...

...

...

...

...

I hope no one was freaked by the ending. It's all in the plan, but Yuffie will eventually be okay. Dunno how well I write dark scenes, but I didn't want to go all explicit there either. I'm sorry it took me a while to updated, but like I keep whining, I was in some sort of creative slump. I couldn't finish any of the chapters I wanted, until I got to this one. I think homework depresses me, but now I'm just being dramatic. I took time off from doing what I'm supposed to, to bring you all this chapter. Things are so far going according to planned and we're closing in on the end. Thank you so much for the all the positive words last chapter and I hope that you all have a great weekend!

Joey


	29. Eye for an Eye

_Warnings: Mentions of torture. If it makes you uncomfortable, please don't read._

.............................

**Eye for an Eye**

.............................

Letting out a startled cry, Yuffie was forced into consciousness once more. She hadn't been able to sleep in peace because every time she tried, her captor forced her awake with either shocks or blaring noises. The first time she had tried to tear off the wires strapped to her skin, her captor had injected her with something that caused terrifying hallucinations that had her clawing at her own arms in anxiety and fear.

She was beginning to feel the repercussions of what he or she was doing to her. Her head was throbbing in pain and the exhaustion was creeping in. Tears stung in her eyes and Yuffie realized that she had lost all notion of time. She couldn't even figure out what day it was. The sleep deprivation was blending reality for her.

She'd do some major ass kicking when she got out of that mess. The problem was holding out until then. Her captor hadn't made any demands. They were just torturing for kicks and to get back at Vincent for things he'd done years ago. She didn't want to lose her grip on reality, or on hope, but the longer the pain lasted, the more defeated she began to feel. The feelings didn't sit well with her. Yuffie had figured that it would take so much more to break her, but apparently she was wrong.

"Good evening," said the monotone voice that was neither man nor woman. "It should be good morning, since it's passed midnight, but that matters little now. I will allow you to eat something and then we are going to make a phone call."

Yuffie felt her heart speed up and wondered if they would be calling Vincent. Maybe they would call Tifa instead. She knew that Tifa would find a way to trace the phone call. The ninja had never been happier to have a brainy cousin, but now she prayed that her cousin would devise some way to find her. Yuffie didn't know how long she'd be able to handle the psychological and physical torture. Even though her captor hadn't personally made her bleed, Yuffie had caused herself harm with what was being done to her.

Through a small window on the door of her glass prison, her captor threw in a paper bag with food inside. Yuffie reached over to the bag with shaky fingers and sniffed the contents. It was a plain sandwich with only a piece of bologna between two slabs of smashed bread. Her stomach was protesting and telling her that she was hungry, but she couldn't trust that nothing had been put into it. "What? No mustard and mayo? Some service you've got here," she said snidely. She threw the thing right back at the door and curled up on her cot, her knees against her chest.

"Stupid girl. All you are doing is prolonging your own pain," said the person outside of her door. "Very well then. Let us make a call," the person said, drawing out a gun and aiming right at her head before entering her cell. The cell phone in her captor's hand was already ringing and Yuffie watched cautiously as the phone was handed over to her. "You will tell him what I have been doing to you and why. Then you will tell him that we want him in exchange for you."

Yuffie's eyes snapped up to the masked face and she began to shake her head. "What?"

"There's been a change of plan and my friend wants Valentine in person, now that he's out of jail," said the person in front of her. "If you don't do as you are told or you try to get smart, I won't kill you. Instead, I will shoot a bullet into each leg, and each arm. Then I will move to your hands and feet."

Yuffie swallowed hard and tried to keep her quick breathing under control as she took the phone. Someone had picked up. "Vincent?" she asked in a shaky voice as a gun was pointed to her forearm.

……

Vincent had finally managed to get some hours of sleep when the shrill ringing of his cell phone awake him in the middle of the night. His dreams had been nightmares the past few nights. Images of Yuffie in danger and bleeding because of him. He had to find her soon or he would go completely mad. And when he found whoever had her, he wouldn't hesitate to hurt the person.

Pulling himself out of the haze of sleep, he tried to force his mind into wakefulness. He had been dreading every time his cell phone rang because it meant that someone could be calling him to tell him that Yuffie was… he couldn't even think it. He sat up abruptly and hoped against everything that it was Tifa or Sephiroth calling to give him _some_ news on Yuffie. In the dark, he blindly reached for his phone on the nightstand.

"Hello?" he asked, voice deep with sleep.

"_Vincent?" asked the shaky voice that undoubtedly belonged to Yuffie._

"Yuffie?" he exclaimed. "Where are you? Who has you? Please, talk to me!" he exclaimed when she said nothing.

"_They haven't let me sleep in days. I… they keep shocking me, and… and when I tried to remove the things they were shocking me with, they pumped me up with some drug that made me… made me see things… he says that if I want to sleep, I have to tell you everything he says," Yuffie said quietly._

"'He' who? Yuffie, who has you?" Vincent asked quickly, jumping to his feet and pacing as his heart hammered in his chest.

"_I don't know. I don't know where I am. I'm being kept in a glass cell. I haven't been able to sleep," she said softly._

"I'll find you, Yuffie. Do you hear me? I'm going to find you," Vincent assured her.

"_No!" she was screaming away from the phone. "I won't let you hurt him! Vincent, Vincent don't accept!" she screamed in the background._

"Yuffie? _Yuffie?!_"

"_Your Yuffie will be punished for not doing what she's told," said a calm voice on the other side._

"Touch her again and I swear that I will tear you to pieces in the slowest and most painful way possible," Vincent all but growled into his phone.

"_Of course you would. That is why we are going to offer you a choice."_

"Which?"

"_You for your wife. A simple trade. Your life for hers," said the person calmly._

Vincent blinked into the phone and began to nod. "Fine."

"_You don't need to answer now," said the voice snidely. "I will give you a few days to think about it. Meanwhile, I will get to have a little more fun with your little wife."_

"No! Do not touch her! Don't touch her!" he yelled in rage.

"_Sweet dreams, Vincent Valentine," the voice said before the line went dead._

"No!" Vincent howled, sending his phone hurling into the mirror of the vanity. The mirror shattered into pieces, but his phone remained intact. Yuffie was in danger… she was hurting and it was all his fault! Cursing in a long string, he picked up his cell phone and dialed Tifa's number. Maybe she would be able to find a way to track the phone they had used to call him. He wouldn't go down without a fight.

………

Sitting on the edge of Zack's bed, Tifa tried to keep her emotions in check. Yuffie was still kidnapped and Genesis hadn't slipped up once, nor had he gone to anywhere he could potentially be keeping Yuffie. She had been gone for nearly a week now and there had been no ransom—in case someone else had her, but that was unlikely—and Genesis had not taken credit for Yuffie's disappearance, even if it was to brag about it to Vincent. All they had gotten was an untraceable note that warned them not to get the police involved unless they wanted to receive Yuffie's body parts every hour.

Rustling from behind her made Tifa turn. Despite their situation, she managed a smile when she saw that Zack was sleeping on his side, facing Lily who was now waking up. Tifa moved over quietly and picked up the baby. "I'm sorry mommy has been gone so much, but she's trying to find your aunt Yuffie to bring her back safely," she said quietly, her voice catching in a silent sob.

She took the baby out into the living room to change her diaper and then rocked her gently in her arms, the lights dimmed to the lowest level possible. Tifa had missed the scent of her daughter and the feel of her tiny body in her arms; she had vowed to make her disappearance up to Lily once they found Yuffie. Settling the baby against her breast, Tifa let out a tired breath and nearly jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She turned to look and found Aerith there. "Can't sleep?" the other woman asked.

Tifa shook her head. "I just got back. Lily needed her diaper changed and I didn't want to disturb Zack. I just… I can't sleep knowing that Yuffie is somewhere in danger and possibly in pain."

Aerith nodded grimly and watched Lily's eyes as they began to slip closed. "She has Zack's eyes. I knew the moment that I first saw her that she was Zack's."

Tifa didn't smile, but she simply nodded. "I… I had thought that you would take advantage of the fact that I was gone."

"I thought about it too, but I couldn't. I was the one who broke Zack's heart. It was my fault that you were gone and that he was unhappy. The guilt didn't allow me to feel like I had a right," Aerith said honestly. "He still loves _you_. Why are you two not together?"

"Too many hurtful things," Tifa muttered. She didn't even know why she was talking to Aerith, but in that moment she needed someone to vent a little with. "I just… can't even think about talking about my feelings when Yuffie…" she trailed off as her breathing hitched slightly. She shook her head and looked down at Lily. "I need to get her to bed. Goodnight," she murmured before walking away.

Aerith sighed to herself and walked into the kitchen to get the glass of water she had gotten up to get when she had spotted Tifa with her baby. Placing her inside of the crib that Zack had bought for Lily while she stayed there temporarily, Tifa made sure to tuck her baby in safely. She watched her for a moment, smiling when the baby slept on peacefully.

"I didn't hear you take her," Zack said quietly from the bed.

Tifa nodded and walked over to stand next to him in the dark. "You're tired. Taking care of a baby is hard work," she said softly.

Zack sat up and nodded. "But I want to help you. We can divide our time with her so that you don't get too tired."

Tifa offered no comment and turned to walk towards his bathroom, grabbing the bag she had dropped just inside his door. "We'll talk about this later, once we've rested a little," she said, shutting the door as noiselessly as possible. She changed into a pair of shorts and an oversized t-shirt, dreading sleeping in the same bed with Zack. It had been so long ago since she had forced herself to get over the fact that she missed his warm body next to hers, she didn't know what to expect.

As she moved to put away her things in her bag, she pulled out a picture of Yuffie carrying Lily from an inside pocket. Though Lily took more after Zack, she had still inherited the slight tilt in her eyes that came from the Wutain blood from Tifa's side. It made her look only a little like Yuffie, and the thought almost brought her to tears again. There was a knock at the bathroom door before Zack stepped in, quietly shutting the door. He noted her trying to rub away her tears in her reflection in the mirror.

Without a word, Zack walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. It was the second time he was doing this for her, and she turned into his chest and cried. "I just… I can't keep waiting to get the news that maybe she's dead!"

Zack shook her a little. "_Don't_ say that," he said seriously, staring into her watery eyes. In that moment, he couldn't help but compare Lily to her. They were both beautiful with that wide-eyed gaze that always seemed to tear through his heart. "We're going to get her back," he said, holding her gaze with his own fiery one. "Don't give up hope, Tifa. I'm here if you need someone to hold you up."

Tifa nodded and exhaled a breath when she hugged him again. "Thank you. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't been here to knock some sense back into me," she said against his shoulder. "I just feel that I'm going to fall apart at any moment. I've never felt so helpless in my life."

Zack just nodded and leaned in to kiss the side of her head, trying to ignore the fragrance of lavender that she had been fond of after they had moved in together. He swallowed hard and moved his lips to kiss her temple, then to her cheek before he felt her tense. His lips then traveled over her cheek bone, her nose, and finally to her lips.

Instead of stopping him and walking out, Tifa welcomed his kiss, her breath shuddering out gently. His hands curled around her waist and lifted her back against the sink, his kiss becoming fiercer as his hips slipped between her parted legs. One hand slid up to her hair and pulled back her head, exposing the pale column of her neck to his scorching kiss. Tifa's eyes closed and opened slowly, her heart wanted to come right out of her chest. She had missed him so much, missed his touch, his scent, the look in his blue eyes. How had she been able to go about her life without him in it?

Distantly, she heard the sound of her cell phone ringing just as Zack's hands began to slip under her t-shirt. "W-wait!" she said breathlessly, trying to think past the haze that his touch had created. "My phone!" she yelled suddenly. "Yuffie!" She pushed him away and rushed out of her bathroom just as it stopped ringing. As she picked it up from the nightstand, it began to ring again. "Hello?" she asked, her breath quickening in fear.

"_It's me, Vincent. We must convene. I just received a phone call," he said simply._

Tifa felt her hands shake and nodded to herself. "We'll be in your home in thirty minutes," she said quickly. She closed her phone and turned to Zack. "Vincent said that he got a call. We have to go over to his place," she said shakily.

Zack nodded. "Get dressed and I will move Lily's crib to Aerith's room." He smiled slightly. "It's a good thing she sleeps through the night."

Despite the small talk about their daughter, Tifa couldn't find it in herself to smile. She simply nodded and redressed. Then she dialed for Cloud, and Yazoo, who had stayed in Midgar to help tail Genesis. Then with a sigh she picked up her things and made her way towards the door to wait for Zack to get ready.

………

They looked haggard and as if they hadn't slept in weeks as they sat around Vincent's sitting room and waited impatiently for Yazoo to arrive. Cloud was trying to stifle a yawn and Tifa was leaning tiredly against Zack's shoulder, her eyes half-closed and trying to keep awake. Sephiroth looked impatient, and Vincent was pacing, but they were waiting for Yazoo to arrive because he'd told Tifa about a few things he had found out. Five minutes later, they were all gathered and Vincent sighed into his hands.

"I received a call from the person who has Yuffie," he said, handing Cloud the phone so that he could run the trace on the number that had been used to call him. Vincent wouldn't get his hopes up because it would be too much luck if her captors had been sloppy. He very much doubted that Genesis was the sloppy kind.

"Is she okay? Have they hurt her?" Tifa asked, sitting up and her eyes looking more awake.

Vincent swallowed hard and nodded, not meeting Tifa's eyes as her breath caught. "They're not letting her sleep," he murmured, keeping the rest of what Yuffie had said to himself.

Tifa bit her lip and stifled her tears against Zack's arm as he rubbed her cheek in comfort, or as much comfort he could give when she had received bad news. He sighed, blue eyes angry. "What did they say?" Zack asked.

Vincent's eyes met and held his. "…They want me in exchange for her."

There was complete silence all around the room and only Sephiroth shifted. "You're not thinking of accepting, are you? We'll find her before we have to resort to that," he said darkly.

Vincent shook his head, suddenly looking very tired, his eyes dull. "My past was bound to catch up to me sooner or later," he said in a low voice. "I just didn't think it would drag down someone I care about first."

Cloud shook his head and cursed. "The phone is either off, or it was disposed of as soon as it was used," he said, handing Vincent's phone back to him.

"Does that sound like something Genesis could and would do?" Tifa asked.

"We were in SOLDIER, and we are trained in various forms so that we can remain untraceable when we need to," said Sephiroth. Zack only nodded in agreement.

"So it _could_ be something that Genesis would do," Cloud said.

"Yes," Zack replied. "It also means that if he's not the one holding Yuffie, he either has someone helping him on the outside, or… it's not him."

Yazoo stepped up and sighed. "It's him," he said seriously.

"How can you be sure?" Vincent asked.

"We've been intercepting his phone calls as well. He never says Yuffie's name, but every morning he asks how she is doing," Yazoo replied grimly. "We haven't been able to trace the signal to the other phone being used."

"Why didn't you say this before?" Tifa asked angrily.

Yazoo just shrugged. "Because we needed to be sure that he was the one. Now we're certain that he is the one we need to go after." He turned to look at Vincent. "This is personal. _You _did something to him. His hate is not for ShinRa in this situation. His hate is for you, for something you did," Yazoo stressed. "We've run Genesis' name in the ShinRa files we took, but we haven't been able to find anything that ties him to any of _your _missions."

"He could've changed his name," said Tifa, shaking her head.

"He did," said Yazoo.

"Then how do you know what ties him to Vincent?" Sephiroth asked.

"Genesis may have changed his name, but he retained most of his background information. We had to cross-reference Vincent's past missions to the information that Genesis provided to ShinRa," Yazoo said. "We still don't know his real name, but we know why he wants revenge and why I'm so sure that he's the one who has Yuffie."

Everyone seemed to wake up to pay more attention. "Just say it," Vincent said when Yazoo hesitated and looked around at the other people.

His silver hair slid forward as he nodded once. "I don't know how good your memory is, but I am almost positive that you remember your first mission as a Turk," Yazoo said slowly.

Vincent's eyes clouded over in memory as he swallowed hard and nodded. "A town called Banora," he murmured.

Sephiroth and Zack looked at him as well. "You were in charge of that mission?" asked his brother.

Vincent nodded. "I was sixteen and they wanted to see what it was that I was capable of," he murmured quietly, avoiding all the eyes that were trained on him.

"Genesis is from Banora?" Tifa asked, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Was," Yazoo muttered.

Tifa frowned, looking around at the men. "What do you mean?"

Vincent let out a long, guilt filled sigh. "I was ordered to eliminate everyone and then wipe the town from the map. It no longer suited ShinRa's purposes and they had no need for witnesses of the experiments that had been done in the town."

Tifa swallowed hard but said nothing; she merely stared in surprise at the men around her. Cloud looked just as stunned as she, despite the things they had known Vincent was capable of, but the other two men seemed calm, as if talk about wiping out entire towns was something that had been a common occurrence to them. "Did… did Genesis get away when you proceeded with the mission?" she asked Vincent softly. He just looked at her and said nothing, noticing the look in her eyes.

"He probably wasn't in the town when it happened, otherwise he would've known years ago who it was that had destroyed Banora. He must've joined SOLDIER to find out, but things the Turks do are guarded by the highest level of security. There are things that even SOLDIERs don't have access to," Sephiroth said.

"While I was looking through the security files we procured," Yazoo said, giving Tifa a pointed look. The brunette nodded and realized that he was talking about the favor that they had asked of Yuffie a while back. "I was able to find out that SOLDIERs are also trained in explosives. The signatures of the bombs made were also in the files. I was able to compare the files to the information I had been given from the explosion at ShinRa manor from where we took Yuffie."

"Genesis built the bomb?" asked Vincent, not needing anymore drawn out explanations.

Yazoo nodded and stifled a yawn. "Yes."

Tifa shook herself from the shock and sighed explosively. "So we agree that he's the one who has her?"

Yazoo nodded. "He hasn't made any move to leave the city or venture far from his home. My brothers and I have been following him. At this exact moment, Loz and Kadaj are keeping guard outside of his home."

"What if he has her there?" Cloud asked, standing and pacing. "Have you scanned his place?"

"It occurred to is, but there are no blueprints of a basement and his home is mostly made up of glass windows," said Yazoo. "If we could only find out his true name, we may be able to search properties under his other name."

"Wasn't there a list of the people who lived in that village?" Vincent asked.

"We've run searches on them and none of them match our boy," Yazoo replied.

"He has covered his tracks," Vincent said thoughtfully.

"We need to put a trace on Vincent's cell phone. Maybe the next time he gets a call, we can hack into the satellite to track the phone at the moment," Tifa said after a moment of silence.

Vincent nodded and the men watched her curiously as Cloud produced a small black box with various tiny wires inside. Tifa's slim hands worked quickly, prying his cell phone apart and then inserting a wire near the main chip. Then Cloud began to type on his computer and he nodded. "We're up and running. We'll know about every call you receive, but we won't listen unless it's him," Cloud told him in reassurance.

"Fine," Vincent murmured. "It doesn't matter as long as we find her. He wants me in exchange for Yuffie. The next time I get a call, I will tell them that I will take her place regardless."

Sephiroth just grunted in annoyance. "We need to have a plan ready for when that happens."

Tifa nodded. "Cloud and I have the chopper. It's not picked up by any type of radar and it is basically invisible. We will go with you when it's time."

"We will _all _go with you," Zack said in reassurance. "We won't let you go into this blindly and alone. We'll be there to back you up and to make sure that Yuffie is extracted safely."

Vincent offered them all a wan smile. "Thank you," he murmured. For the first time in his life he was genuinely happy to know that he wasn't alone. They would find Yuffie and Genesis would pay.

…………

Yuffie sputtered and coughed when she was roused with cold water on her face. She tried to sit up to get her breathing under control, but then she felt the cool press of something sharp and painful against her throat. Her eyes finally blinked away the small amount of sleep she had been allowed; it hadn't even been close to an hour, she knew. When her eyes cleared completely, she was met with an icy blue stare under silky red hair.

"I knew it was you, you bastard," she hissed, pushing against the gleaming red sword at her throat.

"Did you now?" he asked her mockingly. "My associate has been keeping you busy, I'm sure. How do you like paying for what your husband did in his past?"

"He's changed," Yuffie hissed, her eyes burning when the sword nicked her skin and drew a thin line of blood.

"You know about his past and yet you still love him," Genesis murmured, a small frown moving across his face. "You're both made for each other."

"Why do you think we're married?" she asked with a smirk.

Genesis mirrored it and took in her facial features. Though she was trying to look smug, the effect was ruined by the dark smudges under her slightly sunken eyes. She looked haggard, exhausted and almost broken. There was little left of that beautiful, overconfident and challenging girl with the eyes that had appealed to him. Genesis knew that the sleep deprivation was getting to her. "Once Vincent gets here, I will have him pay for what he took from me, but it won't be through you."

Yuffie glared at him but offered no comment. Instead she listened to Genesis as he spilled his plans to her. Let him think that he would get away with it. Yuffie knew that sooner or later her family would find her.

"Originally, I wanted you for myself, but when I received the proof that Valentine had been responsible for the death of my town, I knew that you would be the perfect way to get back at him. I tried to incriminate him in your father's death, but even with that, you still refused to turn your back on him. Now, you will both pay. I know for a fact that he has been suffering because of your disappearance, but you will suffer as well when he arrives."

He moved back and finally allowed her some space to sit up, her glare still present on her face. "I won't let you hurt him. I _will _get out of here and when I do, there will be hell to pay."

Genesis merely ignored her and circled Yuffie as she stood. "Would you like to know what I have planned?" he asked against her ear. Yuffie tensed and closed her hands into fists. "I'm going to have him come her _alone_, unless he wants me to cut you into tiny pieces," he said, running the tip of his sword down one arm. "Once he is here, I will have him trade places with you. Then I will hand him a gun in exchange for your freedom, and he will have to pull the trigger right before your eyes."

Yuffie had begun to shake, her body and her head. "I won't let you hurt him," she spat out once more.

"What are you going to do?" Genesis asked her calmly, drawing more blood as his sword moved across her abdomen lightly, barely even touching.

Yuffie reared her head back against his, and though he was taller, her head crashed back against his face since he had been leaning down to whisper in her ear. There was the satisfying sound of something cracking and it elicited a grunt of pain from the man. No sooner had she attacked, the electric shocks from the wires attached to her body forced her to double over and fall to her knees in agony. It was stronger than last time and the back of Yuffie's mind registered the fact that his accomplice was still there.

The shocks suddenly stopped and Genesis kneeled, gripping her hair and pulling her head back so that her face was near his. Her eyes cracked open a sliver and he smirked at her, even though his nose was bleeding. "Once he is lying in a pool of his own blood, I will slit your throat so that you can both meet in the afterlife. He took my family from me, I will take the only family he has as well. An eye for an eye, my sweet Yuffie."

Yuffie whimpered when he released her and stepped over her, leaving her cell. She lay there for a moment until she heard Genesis in the distance, giving the order to shock her again and then let her sleep. But it didn't last long before the veil of darkness engulfed her and the pain was no more.

………

He got the call a day later, early in the morning. Sephiroth, Tifa, Cloud, and Zack were standing with him in the Rocket Town hangar where their helicopter had been kept. Tifa handed over bulletproof vest and ignored the amused look on Sephiroth's face. "Try not to get your pretty face shot," she said sarcastically.

Sephiroth smirked. "I knew you always noticed," he said smugly.

Tifa rolled her eyes and bit her lip when she noticed that Zack was giving them both a cold look. So much for him being there to comfort her. He was still angry at her and she couldn't really blame him, but it did piss her off to see that he was still jealous of Sephiroth. She turned to walk off to the back of the hangar so that she could change into the clothing she usually wore on heists. Cloud was ready to go, dressed in his clothing and he looked up when she approached.

"Whatever goes down, we need to get Yuffie out of there," he said quietly, slipping some short knives into the various pockets of his outfit. Then he moved towards a black case that held an impossibly huge sword composed of many parts.

Tifa sighed. "Did you know that Zack has a sword that almost looks exactly like yours?" she asked.

Cloud shook his head. "We're ready Tifa. We'll be fine and at the end of all of this, Genesis will regret ever touching our family," he said quietly.

Tifa nodded. "Be safe. Don't do anything to get yourself hurt."

Cloud smiled wryly and nodded. "I'll try," he said before walking away to start prepping the chopper.

Once Tifa changed into her black outfit, she remained in the backroom as she slipped on her bulletproof vest and then a black jacket above it. She tied her hair back to keep it out of her way, and slipped a few knives of her own into her pockets. Next came her gloves and her computer. The satellite had traced Yuffie's location while the call had been in progress and with shock she had realized that Genesis was holding her in an abandoned warehouse that was near the place where Banora had once stood.

Tifa brought up satellite pictures of the structure and her breath shuddered out with the anticipation of getting her sister out of there. Yuffie just wasn't her cousin, she was her sister, and anyone who dared her hurt would pay dearly.

"We're ready," Zack said from behind her. Tifa turned to look at him and nodded. Zack's eyes swept her form and he had to constantly remind himself that Tifa was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. In fact, she was dangerous in her own right. "What will you do when Yuffie is safe?"

"We will see when the time comes," Tifa said evasively.

Zack just nodded and swept her into a hug that nearly startled her. "I want you to stay out of the line of fire. This isn't a sexist or macho thing, but Genesis is a dangerous man. Sephiroth, Vincent, and I will take care of him. You and Cloud must get Yuffie out. Watch your backs because I'm almost certain that Genesis is not alone in all this."

When Tifa began to protest, Zack silenced her with a finger to her lips. "Think of Lily," he said gently, watching her gaze soften at the mention of their daughter.

"I will," Tifa assured him, leaning upwards to kiss his cheek. "As long as you do too."

Zack just nodded and together they walked over to the helicopter as the roof began to open. Cid stepped into the hanger as Cloud started chopper. "Why do I get the feeling that you're going to do something dangerous, and where's Yuffie?" he snapped.

Tifa smiled and hugged him before he could protest, hugging Shera who had come up behind him too. "We'll be fine. Just getting some practice," she assured him. "We promise to come visit soon."

Cid just watched them go suspiciously, and didn't object when Shera wrapped his fingers around hers. "I got a bad feelin' about all this shit." Shera just sighed and nodded.

Tifa took the copilot seat and strapped herself in as Zack settled his sword on the floor beneath his feet. He turned to Vincent and gave him a grim look. "You're sure that he won't just kill you to get it over with?" Zack questioned.

Vincent shrugged. "Someone will meet me right outside of my building. I am fairly certain that it will not be Genesis. From there I will be blindfolded and taken willingly. Genesis just hasn't realized that we already know where he is." He handed Zack a long, black box that contained the gun he hadn't used in years. "I will need this when the time is right."

Zack nodded shook his hand. "If we don't make it out of this, it was great knowing you. I couldn't have asked for a better brother."

Vincent smirked and nodded before letting his hand go and then turning to his other brother. Sephiroth carried with him his own sword, which was more than likely taller than Yuffie herself. It was the sword that had been "swordnapped," as Yuffie had been saying smugly those days afterwards. "You'll both have my back," he said with a nod.

Zack and Sephiroth nodded and Tifa tried not to listen to their conversation. Cloud threw the switch that silenced the chopper and then they were flying towards Vincent's company to drop him off. She unlatched her seatbelt and moved cautiously towards the back, producing another small box with little gadgets inside. At the questioning looks she received, she explained.

"These are for all of us to hear what is going on. As long as you keep you hair down, no one will notice it, and even if your ears are left out in the open, it's pretty hard to see this thing," she said, waiting for each man to take it out and place it inside their ears consecutively. She walked back to take her seat and spoke to them. "Is the sound coming in clear?"

"Yes," said Vincent.

"Yeah," Zack said next.

Sephiroth's voice came last. "Affirmative."

"Good," Tifa said as they landed on the roof of Vincent's building. "We'll be following you every step of the way. Yazoo and his brothers will follow you and your captor as long as it's safe for all of you."

Vincent nodded and gave them all one last look before stepping off of the helicopter, stopping until he was safely away to salute and then disappear through the door. His heart was beating calmly in his chest, but his thoughts were racing in his head. He would do anything to keep Yuffie safe, even give his life for her if that meant that she could get away without any more hurt. He was being called to answer for his past deeds, and he wasn't afraid for his own life. As long as Yuffie was safe, anything that happened to him wouldn't matter.

...

...

...

...

...

I hope my explanations on Genesis weren't too confusing. I will go back to reread it in a while and I'll most likely change some things around. So like I've said before, we're closing in on the ending. Overall, I'm really happy with this story and the response it received, I'm glad you've all enjoyed it as well. Next chapter will have action and I will try my very best to write it without sounding corny or boring. Also, remember that when it comes to security, bombs, and stuff on tracking, I am making it up and/or borrowing from movies and TV shows.

On a different note, I've got a story to plug. If anyone out there likes ReeveYuffie stories even a little, check out the story _"Stuck,"_ which is a collaboration of many amazing writers part of the Viva La Reefie forum under one name, but every chapter is a different story. I've also written a oneshot myself, but check out all the other great authors there. The stories range from humor to angst and they're all worth the time, believe me. If you're interested, find the story in my favorites. Thank you all for your reviews, your time, and I hope everyone has been having a good spring break. See you around!

Joey


	30. Bleed

.............................

**Bleed**

.............................

The ride towards the warehouse they held Yuffie was a rough one. There had been a black van sitting across the street from his building, where he had been expected to get into the back on his own. A black mask had been on the seat and as soon as he had gotten into the back and grabbed it, there had been a gun pointed to the back of his head. "Put on the mask and no funny business."

The voice sounded like that of a man, and Vincent did as he was told before the voice told him to turn around. At least he had the knowledge that Tifa, Zack, Sephiroth, and Cloud would be able to save Yuffie if something went wrong. Bonds were tightened around his hands and then there was a painful prick of a needle on the skin of his neck, and he fell unconscious almost instantly. The van took off after the man made sure that he was truly out of it and began the drive towards the outskirts of Banora.

……

The scans her computer was running let Tifa know that they were close. The abandoned warehouse was located within a thick foliage of trees, nearly hiding it from view. She realized that it would've been a perfect location to hide contraband, if the person owning it was a criminal.

As it was, the property was under the name of a Jenova Crescent. Tifa frowned in thought and realized that Jenova had been Vincent's step mother. She turned to look at the men sitting in the back of the chopper and met Zack's eyes before she could stop herself. His head raised and he looked right back at her, giving her a questioning look.

Tifa shook her head and turned back to her computer, typing quickly as she scanned the warehouse now that they were a few miles closer. "There are no booby traps on the outside, but maybe that's because I haven't run a more extensive scan. It is watched by heat seeking cameras though, so we have to make sure we lad somewhere safe. There are also motion sensors around the are outside of the building," Tifa said, her voice echoing into the men's earpieces.

"That's something easily taken care of," Sephiroth replied. "Scan the roof and then drop us there."

Tifa scowled. "I'm going too."

"No, Tifa. You have to stay here," Zack's voice responded. "Think of Lily."

"You can't blackmail me with our daughter, Zack. I love her and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize myself, but I _need _to see Yuffie myself. I'm going," she said in a voice that left no room for arguments. "Besides, I can disarm any alarm that they may have inside. Can you?"

Zack scowled to himself as they began to circle the warehouse from above. Tifa unhooked herself from the seat and turned to Cloud, squeezing his arm. "I'll land the chopper near by and then I'll join you. I'll take Yuffie to Shera once we know she's safe," Cloud said.

"Okay. Watch yourself," Tifa said as she moved towards the back of the chopper. She took a hold of a thick black rope and hooked it around a belt on her waist. Her eyes met Zack's before she let out a deep breath and then dropped back and out of the helicopter.

"Courageous," Sephiroth said calmly, watching as Tifa slid down the rope expertly.

Zack just grunted and followed her down the rope. They landed quietly on the roof and Tifa found the circuitry running along the roof, hacking into the alarm system with her computer. Using the cameras located inside of the warehouse, she took a look inside and quickly found Yuffie, laying prone on the floor of the glass cell they had her locked in.

Then she saw him. Genesis was sitting in a chair a few feet away, clouded mostly in darkness, and eerily watching Yuffie as she lay there on the floor. "The cell is rigged to explode if we attempt to open it without the proper code," she murmured.

"You can hack into it, right?" Zack asked her in worry.

Tifa sighed and nodded after a moment. "Yes, but I need time and need to be close to the cell, and if we get in there, I doubt I will have the chance to properly hack in without Genesis trying to cut me into pieces," she said.

Sephiroth sighed in irritation. "You must trust that we will keep you safe from him," he said seriously.

"What about Vincent? He's in their hands now. What if we go in there and Genesis gives the order to kill Vincent? We have to wait for him to get here and then we can move," Tifa replied grimly.

Zack just nodded and leaned back against the vent protruding from the roof. "No word from Vincent yet," he said quietly.

"Not even a sound," Tifa agreed. "We'll just have to wait. In the meantime, I'll contact Yazoo to let him know that we arrived." Letting out a sigh, Tifa took out her phone and dialed. As much as it was killing her, she had to be patient and wait until the time was right to rescue Yuffie.

……

He could feel the drug wearing off, but his eyes refused to open and his body was not responding to his brain's command to move. He grunted when he heard a door 'swoosh' open and he was thrown inside a room, hitting the floor painfully. After a long moment of laying on his face, his hands finally began to regain movement and he reached up to pull of the hood from his face.

The first thing he saw was his glass surroundings as he stared up at the clear ceiling. Second, he noticed dark hair and pale skin from his peripheral vision. Despite the throbbing pain in his head, he sat up quickly and pulled her unconscious body into his arms, nearly sagging in relief when he felt her breathing, her chest rising and falling slowly.

Next he noticed that there were tiny burn marks on her wrists and chest, her eyes sunken in and with dark smudges underneath. Her hair was matted back from sweat and something that was more than likely dried blood, but she was alive and he would get her out even if it cost him his life. "Yuffie," he murmured.

She whimpered unconsciously and she squinted her eyes as they were opening. "Vincent?"

"I'm here," he said gently, rubbing a bruised cheek with his thumb.

Tears leaked out from her eyes and she shook her head. "Why did you come?" she whispered.

Vincent frowned, his eyes intently watching her fingers as they closed over his on her face. "I came to get you out."

"We're not getting out of this," Yuffie said sadly.

"Yes we are," he said with conviction, his gaze burning into hers.

Yuffie wanted to believe him, but the lack of sleep had done a little number on her, aside from the little electric shocks every few minutes. "I hope so," she murmured, thinking about her cousin. If Vincent was here, then Tifa and Cloud would've more than likely followed his trail.

"I'll make sure you're safe, even if I die trying," Vincent assured her.

"And rest assured that you will," Genesis' voice rang out around them.

Vincent stood once he was sure that his legs would hold him, and picked up Yuffie gently, placing her on the cot and pushing her hair away from her face. "If you must, do what you will to me, but let her go."

Genesis approached the cell. "You are in no position to bargain anything at this moment," he said smugly. "But let's cut the small talk. I want you to know why I took your bride in the first place."

"Tell me," Vincent spat.

"Take a look at the envelope your beloved stuffed under the cot in order to not see them anymore," Genesis instructed.

Vincent gave him a look and walked over to take the envelope, catching Yuffie's eyes as he did so. She looked so sad and tired, those were two things he had _never_ associated with her since the time he had known her. He would've given anything in that moment to erase that look from her eyes. He moved away from her and took the images out, staring at them coldly when he recognized them from his first mission. "…What of them?" he asked callously.

"You son of a bitch! You killed my parents! You shot them to death, them _and _the rest of the people who lived in Banora. Did you honestly believe that you would live your life without any punishment?" Genesis hissed at him.

"Who gives _you_ the right to judge anyone?" Vincent nearly yelled, making Yuffie flinch in the background. "You are nobody!"

"You killed the people I loved! I have every right to judge you!" Genesis yelled back. He let out a long breath. "Move away from the door."

"Why?" Vincent asked.

Genesis pushed a button on a small control he had been holding and Vincent turned, hearing Yuffie cry out, nearly writhing over the cot. He was at her side in an instant, a worried frown on his face. "Don't… touch… elec…" she gasped out in pain.

Vincent could see the tiny electric currents traveling into her body. "Stop," he spat at Genesis.

The man outside the cell smirked. "Step away from her, to the other side of the room. Turn your back to me and get on your knees. Then place your hands behind your head, or I'll electrocute her until her brain is nothing but mush."

Vincent grit his teeth but he moved away when he heard Yuffie choke back a cry of agony when the torture intensified. He did as Genesis said and felt his heart clench when he listened to Yuffie's gasps of relief. He would tear Genesis apart once he had the chance. He just hoped that Sephiroth and the rest of them didn't take too long to get to them.

Vincent heard the sounds of a struggle and turned and got to his feet too late. Genesis had nearly dragged Yuffie out and had closed the door behind him, leaving something gleaming on the cot. He got a good look at it and frowned. It was a fully loaded gun. He turned to look for Yuffie and found her standing, but just barely. Against her neck was a long, red sword, pressing painfully against her already bruised skin. "What do you want?" Vincent asked him, approaching the glass.

Genesis smiled serenely and pressed a kiss to Yuffie's cheek, feeling her grunt in disgust. "I want you to take that gun… put it to your head… and pull the trigger. Of course, in exchange for her life."

"He'll just kill me after, don't do it Vincent," Yuffie said with a shake of her head.

Vincent stepped over to the cot and took the gun in his hand, walking back to stand in front of Yuffie and Genesis once more. "Let her go now and I will do it once she is safe and gone."

"You are in no position to negotiate," Genesis said with an amused scoff. "Either you die first or she does. You'll have to trust my word that she will live once your brains explode out of your head."

Yuffie felt tears overflow from her eyes as she met Vincent's gaze. _Please, please don't do it! _she tried to convey through her stare. Her entire life was flashing before her eyes and she wasn't the one immediately in danger. She could see the change in him now, from the man he had been when they had stumbled into each other to the man he was now, after her supposed death. He had managed to change and become a better person while she had been stuck in her own selfishness, pushing him away and making him hurt just as badly as she had been hurting herself. She was still the little girl her father had enjoyed berating, and he had been right. To live without Godo and without Vincent would break her now.

Vincent stared right back into her eyes and offered her a very small smile. "I'm sorry… for everything I ever did to you," he murmured.

"How touching," Genesis said in a mocking tone, interrupting their moment.

Vincent ignored him. "I love you, Yuffie." He raised the gun towards his temple and took in a quick breath.

She shook her head, attempting to move towards him, but just succeeding in adding a new cut to her neck that promptly began to bleed. "No! Don't do it. I love you too. _I love you too!_" Yuffie sobbed out.

He gave her a sort of resigned smile and let out a long sigh, preparing to pull the trigger. Yuffie shook her head over and over, thinking of what she could do, but she didn't have to. From the shadows, a sword she had once held in her hands swung out and stopped only a breath away from slicing through Genesis' neck. "Did you honestly think that we would sit back and allow you to hurt our family?" asked Sephiroth darkly.

Genesis grit his teeth and turned to look at the man holding the sword. "You can't be too sure that I wont slice off her head before you take mine," he said darkly.

"Maybe we should make sure you don't get the chance then," said Zack, bringing up his own sword and placing it on the other side of Genesis' neck. "Do you really want to test how fast you can be?"

Tifa walked out of the shadows with a gun pointed to Genesis' accomplice. She snatched the hood from his head and everyone started when they saw that it was… "Loz," Sephiroth said darkly.

The tall man looked at them and blinked, his eyes a little wide. "He told me that mother would've wanted me to help," Loz said quickly.

"Jenova was your mother," Tifa stated in confusion. Loz just let tears fall from his eyes and said nothing.

"Lies," Sephiroth hissed. "I would've known if my mother had popped out three other bastards," he spat.

"Shouldn't we focus on something else for now?" Tifa asked pointedly, looking towards Yuffie.

"Move and you're dead," Zack said before helping Yuffie from the Genesis' grip.

Genesis watched them, calculating how much speed he would need to get to safety so that he could cause some damage. He wouldn't go down without a fight. As Zack stepped away, he felt Sephiroth shift his attention only slightly and he took the opportunity, using his sword to deflect Sephiroth's before he jumped back and away. Genesis smirked as he pulled a remote from his hand and activated the timer hooked to the explosives wired into the glass cell.

"You won't be able to get him out of the cell before the explosives go off, so even if I die by your hand," he said to Sephiroth, "or yours," he motioned towards Zack, "Valentine dies today."

Zack took his stance in front of Yuffie and watched Tifa kick Loz to his knees before grabbing black plastic material to use as cuffs for him. Then she turned to Yuffie and almost hugged her in relief, but she noticed the little wires attached to the skin of her collarbone and her arms, red and nastily bruised. Tifa blinked back tears and helped Yuffie remove them carefully, even after insisting that she look at a doctor to have them removed.

Yuffie turned to the cell and prayed that she and Tifa found the opportunity to hack into the system and find the combination before they were all dead. Behind her, she could hear the sounds of blades as Genesis held his own against both Sephiroth and Zack. Tifa put her computer to use quickly and Yuffie turned to Loz. "Why did you do it? Did Lucrecia put you up to this?" she asked him.

"Why would Lucrecia do that?" Vincent asked from the other side of the cell.

Yuffie turned tired eyes to Yazoo's brother as he looked guiltily at her. "Tell him, Loz," she spat.

"Our mother was Ifalna," said Loz in a small voice. "She was Jenova… and… Lucrecia's middle sister."

Vincent's eyes widened. "But… what does she have to do with Genesis?" he asked, watching as Tifa cursed in frustration and a digital timer over the door showed that they only had three minutes and thirty-five seconds before everything went to hell.

Yuffie sighed. "Genesis was their half brother. His father was married to Lucrecia, Jenova, and Ifalna's mother, but he had another family in Banora," she said. Her eyes grew misty again. "You would've put a bullet in your head?" she murmured.

Vincent nodded, touching his hands to the glass near her face. "I would've died for you," he replied seriously. "I'm sorry… this was all my fault. My past put you in danger."

Yuffie just swallowed and found that after the whole ordeal, she couldn't keep holding back her tears. "I would've gone crazy without having you there to be the bane of my existence," she said with a shaky smile, pressing her forehead to the glass. Vincent just smirked and mirrored her.

"Tifa?" Vincent asked.

"Yes?" she asked, frowning into her computer.

"I would appreciate if you got me out of here so that I can make Genesis pay for what he did to Yuffie," said Vincent with a deep sigh.

"I'm trying, but you're not helping!" she said in an anxious tone. It was one thing to hack into a system to get a code, and something entirely different to disarm a bomb. But she was worrying too much, since the bomb would be disarmed anyway if she managed to find the combination. "Cloud?" she asked into her ear piece.

"On my way," Cloud's voice crackled through. "Got held up because there _were_ some booby traps that your scan didn't catch."

"Please hurry. We're going to kinda blow up into little pieces if I don't find the combination for this thing," Tifa said.

Yuffie turned back to the fighting and watched in amazement as Sephiroth and Zack almost danced around the other man. Genesis moved gracefully with his sword, weaving between Zack's Buster sword and Sephiroth's Masamune, narrowly missing getting cleaved or sliced. The sword began to come close and Yuffie moved closer to Tifa protectively, despite her own exhaustion. "Duck!" she yelled at Tifa when Genesis darted towards them and swung his sword.

Both dropped to the ground and Yuffie rolled out of the way when Genesis moved towards her again. Zack's sword intercepted the blow and Yuffie let out a breath when Masamune managed to run through Genesis' shoulder, slowing him down a little. Cloud ran into the room and straight for Tifa as he eyed the battle. Even injured the red haired man was giving them trouble, but Cloud's focus needed to be on disarming the bomb and getting Vincent out of the cell he was in. "Where were you?" Tifa asked darkly.

"Convincing both Kadaj and Yazoo to stay out of this. More people will only complicate things," he muttered, taking the computer from her and beginning a different scan.

Yuffie pulled the gun from the holster on the small of Tifa's back but she wouldn't be able to get a clear shot without risking shooting one of the other men. She watched as Genesis narrowly missed sticking his sword through Zack's gut, as the other man back flipped right in time, swinging the Buster sword and slicing Genesis right in the middle and drawing more blood.

The man responsible for all her pain—for Godo's death—stumbled back and paused. Yuffie found her hands raising in a double-handed stance, the gun sighted right between his eyes. Genesis looked up at her and smirked. "Pull the trigger and we'll see if you're fast enough to kill me," he said, holding his sword at the ready to defend against the other two men.

A triple barreled gun raised off to her side and a shot went off before anyone could even draw breath. The three bullets didn't kill him, but they dropped Genesis back forcefully, red almost exploding from his shoulder. Yuffie's shaky hands lowered, the gun still held tightly between them, and turned to find Vincent at her side, Cerberus in one hand and still smoking lightly. "We cannot serve as judges and executioners. He will suffer more if he goes to prison to pay for what he has done."

"What if he wants to take you with him?" Yuffie asked.

"ShinRa will never allow any of it to be made public. They are very meticulous when it comes to their image," Vincent said with a shake of his head.

"We can still bring them down in other ways," Yuffie said with a tired sigh. Vincent nodded and refused the urge to take Yuffie into his arms and hold her.

"You're too damned slow, Fair," Sephiroth muttered.

Zack's eyes narrowed darkly. "Me?"

"Yes. I was able to draw first blood," the silver-haired man said smugly.

"But only once. My injury was bigger than yours. Besides, it's been a while since I trained with my sword. What's your excuse? Aren't you supposed to be unbeatable Sephiroth?" Zack asked him darkly, moving towards Genesis to check if he was still alive, while Sephiroth kicked away his sword.

Sephiroth merely smirked and noticed that Genesis was bleeding and taking harsh breaths. "You'll see that your life will be a living hell from now on. You were trying to be a big man, torturing a woman. You haven't learned the meaning of pain just yet."

Genesis let out a weak chuckle. "I'm going to take you down with me."

Zack pressed the tip of his Buster sword against Genesis' neck and sneered. "Try it," he spat.

"I called the police, so I suggest you get out of here with the chopper," Tifa said to Cloud. She turned to Zack. "Will you go with him and spend the day with Lily? I just… I want to go with Yuffie."

Zack nodded and reached up to touch her cheek. "Will you come home soon? I think Lily has been missing you these last few days."

Tifa nodded and felt her eyes fill with tears as all her emotions roiled in her mind. It had been exhausting, trying to find Yuffie and wondering what she had gone through. The last few days hadn't been fair to Lily and Tifa felt her heart ache at the thought of her baby. "As soon as Yuffie is okay, I'll be home."

Zack nodded and began to walk towards Loz, hauling him to his feet. "Your mother wouldn't have wanted you to torture someone innocent," Zack said darkly.

Loz broke into tears and Zack turned to Sephiroth, who just shrugged. "He was always a bit slow," he said seriously.

Tifa turned to Sephiroth to give him a piece of her mind about calling his own cousin slow when she noticed Genesis on the floor behind him, he was reaching for a gun and time seemed to slow as he sighted on Yuffie. "No!" she yelled, doing the only thing she could think of. She jumped towards Yuffie just as the sound of the gun going off echoed through the warehouse.

They both went down and Yuffie almost screamed when she realized that they were both covered in red. "Tifa? Tifa!" she asked desperately, seeking her cousin for a pulse.

"No," Zack exclaimed, dropping to his knees next to Tifa, meeting her unfocused gaze. "Why did you do it? Why?!" he nearly yelled, his own eyes filling with tears.

"She's my family," Tifa said in a small voice, wincing when he tore off the sleeves of his shirt and pressed them down onto her stomach. "I know I didn't think it through, but I had to do it to save her."

Yuffie met her eyes and shook her head. "You were always trying to take care of me," she said, her voice cracking. "Don't you die on me, okay? Think of Lily. Hold onto her if you even _feel_ like croaking on us."

Tifa had to admire Yuffie's attitude, even after enduring nearly two weeks of torture and sleep deprivation. She would be fine. Tifa turned to Zack and he raised a hand to rub her cheek, unintentionally smearing red across her pale cheek. "Stay with me, Teef. I'm not going to let you give up on us," Zack said, his breathing hitched.

Tifa smiled and nodded, but just as she was reaching up to touch his face, her fingers fell away limply. Yuffie's eyes widened. "Tifa… Tifa wake up!"

"Yuffie!" Zack called, watching as the younger woman took up the gun she had dropped and pointed it at Genesis.

"Stop. He needs to go to prison," Vincent said, moving to walk next to her but without actually touching her. "Yuffie, please."

Her eyes were dry, and her grip on the gun was firm as she came up to the man. Sephiroth had sat him on a chair and had his sword digging into the man's neck, challenging him to move. "You killed her. You sick bastard. Now I'm going to kill you," she whispered, slamming the barrel of the gun right into his eye and hearing Genesis grunt in pain.

"I was aiming for you," Genesis said dryly.

Yuffie cocked the gun and noticed Genesis had tensed slightly. She had been so focused on glaring the man down, that she hadn't even heard Vincent talking to Zack as he and Cloud ran off together with Tifa. Vincent walked over to stand next to her and placed a hand over her fingers.

"She's not dead. Tifa is just unconscious and Zack and Cloud are going to take her to get help. Let him live, Yuffie, and together we will make him understand the meaning of pain," Vincent said in a low, cajoling voice.

Yuffie looked at him briefly. "Lucrecia too."

"Once we prove that she was an accomplice, we will," Vincent assured her.

Yuffie grit her teeth, but lowered the gun. Before any of the men could react, she pulled her fist back and sent it with as much strength as she could muster right into his nose, hearing the sickening crunch of bone. Genesis fell right out of his chair and Yuffie proceeded to use him to practice her kicks for a few seconds, while Vincent and Sephiroth watched on with cold looks.

Then they heard the sound of sirens, and the police filed in, pointing guns and telling them to remain where they were. Everything from there happened in slow motion as they arrested Genesis and took their statement on what had happened. During the ride back to the nearest city in one of the ambulances, Vincent rode with Yuffie, holding her hand as the paramedic cleaned out the wounds and checked her for any immediate injuries. Her eyes were so tired, and Vincent knew in his heart that he would never forgive himself for what she had gone through. "You should get some sleep," he murmured.

Tears leaked out from her eyes and she shook her head. "I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep on my own for a long time. Every time I closed my eyes, I was awakened by pain."

Vincent closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "Never again will you feel pain by my hand," he murmured.

Yuffie nodded but couldn't even bring herself to smile when he cleaned her tears away. Even though it was over, she felt as if she had been robbed of her own justice. She had been trying to turn away from revenge but she was itching for it now and she was regretting trying to be the bigger person. "Will you find out how Tifa is doing? I won't be okay until I know that she's okay," Yuffie said quietly.

Vincent nodded. "Try to get as much rest as you possibly can," he said as the ambulance finally stopped and they began to unload Yuffie's stretcher. "I will fill out the paperwork and I will contact either Zack or Cloud."

Yuffie nodded and released his hand when he gave her a reassuring smile. Vincent watched her go and moved off to the side of the hospital. He let out a long breath and welcomed the relief that had been threatening him since he had seen Yuffie alive and as well as she could've been. Once everything was fixed and Yuffie was healthy and well, he would find it in himself to let her be free of him in every way possible.

For now, he would soothe Yuffie with news on Tifa. After all, it was the least he could do.

………

When she came to, Tifa released a small whimper of pain, catching the attention of the man who had been sitting by her side. Zack's gaze was worried and full of pain as he looked at her. Tifa reached a hand towards him and Zack took it quickly, pressing a relieved kiss against her fingers. "Why'd you do it?" he asked, his voice breaking.

"I told you. I didn't think it through, but I love Yuffie enough to give my life for her. I know that she would've done the same for me."

"Didn't you stop and think about Lily?" Zack asked her angrily, tears filling his eyes. "About me?"

"I would've taken a bullet for you too," Tifa said with a shaky smile, her own eyes watering at the sight of him.

"I wouldn't have asked you to," Zack replied. "I didn't… I was supposed to protect you from any harm. I… what would I have done without you?"

"Don't blame yourself for a decision I made in the moment. I would've expected you to raise our daughter and be happy," Tifa said seriously.

Zack shook his head and a single tear dropped onto their entwined fingers. Tifa moved her hand up to brush away the wet trail from his cheek. "I love you," he murmured.

Tifa smiled. "I love you too. I'm sorry of how things turned out between us. But… I have a confession to make," she said quietly.

He rubbed at his eyes and moved from the chair to sit at her side. "You're not going to tell me that Lily isn't really mine, are you?" he asked with a slight grin.

Tifa bit back a laugh and gasped in pain when she pulled at the stitches in her stomach, Zack apologizing for causing her pain in the background. She shook her head and wiped away the tears from pain in her eyes. She sighed. "I was never with Cloud after I broke off our engagement. Aerith came to me, she didn't want us to cancel our plans, she just wanted me to know how sorry she was, that I shouldn't be angry with you. I didn't listen. I decided to break up with you then and there, and I had Cloud help me, but I was never with him again. I still saw him as a brother, even though I tried not to. I'm sorry I broke your heart too," she said, finally meeting his eyes.

Zack didn't know what to say. For so long he had convinced himself that a part of him hated Tifa for going to Cloud after dumping him so coldly, but she was telling him that she hadn't, and that she had moved aside in order for him to start a new life with the other mother of his child. "You should've talked to me about it, not just made the decision on your own."

"I was hurt, because whether intentional or not, you had gotten another woman pregnant," Tifa said honestly.

Zack nodded in understanding. "What do we do now?"

"Do you forgive me?" Tifa asked slowly, almost hesitantly.

"Only if you forgive _me_ for all the hurtful things I've said to you," Zack said, gripping her hand tightly in his once more.

"Then we can start over, don't you think?" she asked hopefully.

"We can't just get married and start from there, can we?" he asked, his easy smile returning.

Tifa mirrored his smile and shook her head. "I don't think so. Maybe we can go back to living together again, but we have a rift to cross together."

"Did you know that Aerith is engaged to Sephiroth now? Can you imagine him being my daughter's stepfather?" Zack asked with a heavy sigh.

Tifa smiled. "Rose will always have you. I know you'll be a great father for both Rose and Lily," she said squeezing his hand.

Zack's bright eyes moved to hers once more and he leaned forward carefully to brush her lips with his. Pressing their foreheads together, he closed his eyes and felt his heart sing when her other hand passed through his thick hair gently. "We should've been happy long ago."

Tifa felt her eyes begin to droop from the medication in her IV. "We've still got time," she said with a sleepy smile.

"I love you, Tifa," he said once more, pulling back to look into her half-lidded eyes.

She smiled before her eyes closed completely and she went back to sleep. Zack let out a sigh and kissed her closed eyes before moving back and taking a seat in his chair once more. His hopes had been reborn and he knew that things wouldn't be the same as before, when they had been about to marry. He knew though, that having her in his life no matter how different it would be was well worth it. "I would've died for you too, Tifa," he murmured, leaning his head against her bed and letting out a long sigh. It was then that the tears of relief came and he did nothing to stop them. Who said men weren't supposed to cry?

…………

"I lied when I implied that I had killed before," Yuffie said suddenly, catching him off guard as he stared out of the window in her private hospital room.

"I figured as much," he said with a slight smirk. "You weren't asleep for too long," he commented.

Yuffie shrugged. "The doc says that I'm going to have to drink some special pills whenever I can't sleep," she said, sitting up in her bed and rubbing absently at her bruised and scraped wrists. "What about Tifa?" she asked suddenly.

"She's fine. Right in this hospital," Vincent said. "They took the bullet out and there was no serious damage. She will heal in a few weeks, but she is out of danger."

Yuffie let out a sigh of relief and nodded. "Good," she breathed. "And Genesis and Loz?"

"The police has them. They want you to go to the police station to give your recount of what happened. But with various witnesses against him, Genesis will rot in prison. I cannot say that I am sorry he will be put away, but… it was my fault he did this in the first place," Vincent said quietly, still not turning to look at her.

Yuffie stood shakily from the bed and walked over to him, pulling her IV along with her. "You were ready to give your life for me," she said gently.

"Do not attempt to make me a hero from that," Vincent said with a shake of his head. He felt her slim hand touch his hesitantly, and the small touch made his eyes snap to hers.

"But you _are_ a hero. At least… my hero," she murmured with a small smile.

He let out a heavy sigh and pulled her gently into his arms before he could stop himself. Giving her hope that their relationship would continue was the wrong thing to do if he was willing to walk out of her life so that she could be safe. He stroked her clean hair back from her forehead and sighed. "I'm going to cut it when I get out of here," she murmured against his chest.

Vincent grunted. "You look beautiful either way," he said quietly. Yuffie just smiled and felt herself relax in his warm and secure embrace. After a moment, he guided her back towards the bed and pulled the covers over her, lightly stroking her cheek.

She was looking at him with her big eyes, searching his for something that he couldn't understand or decipher. "Kiss me," she murmured after a moment.

Vincent started and finally recognized the gleam in her eyes. "Here?" he asked incredulously. He shook his head and sat back. "You need rest. You haven't slept properly in nearly two weeks."

"I _can't_ sleep. Don't you get it? It's going to take a fucking shrink to make me sleep normally again. But I need… I need…" she trailed off, rubbing a hand over her face. "I need the type of comfort that only you can give me," Yuffie whispered, eyes dark and beseeching in her pale face. "Now either find a way to lock the door or leave. Because if you can't comfort me the way I _need_ you to, you might as well go."

Vincent sighed and knew that he was more than willing to give her what she wanted—what they _both _wanted—but it would only make it harder to leave her behind in the end. He found his legs carrying him towards the door and looking to see if there was no one coming to check on her, after all, the nurse had been by twenty minutes before and wouldn't be returning in at least an hour or two. He closed the door quietly and locked it, then he drew the curtain around Yuffie's bed and approached her once more.

After pulling off his clothing, he joined her on the small bed, trying to find a comfortable position that wouldn't result in either of them falling off. He stared at her for a long moment, hesitant to touch her. "Am I so ugly after two weeks of torture that you won't touch me?" she asked him quietly.

Vincent shook his head and moved forward to kiss her almost deperately. "No matter what happens," he whispered against her lips. "You will _always_ be beautiful in my eyes."

Yuffie didn't like the tone in his voice. It sounded as if he were saying goodbye, but he couldn't leave… not after all they had gone through, after all they had done to each other. She wouldn't let him walk out of her life. So she kissed him, ignoring the exhaustion—mental and physical—and the aches all over her bruised body.

The rest of the mess could be dealt with later, but for now, all she needed was to feel Vincent against her. The world could wait.

...

...

...

...

...

Dunno how I feel about the action in this one, for some reason I felt it anticlimactic, but maybe that's just me. Originally, I had set for Genesis to die, but I changed it at the last moment. Overall though, I did enjoy writing this chapter. I got all my points across… I think, and I also believe that the next chapter will be the last… unless my last ideas turn out too long, I can't know until I actually begin writing the next chapter. Also, I couldn't find a way to include Yazoo and Kadaj in this chapter, but maybe they'll make the next one, in case some of you were wondering.

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and I want to thank all the new reviewers for reading. It's nice to see that new people have joined the drama-ship. You all make my day though, so don't forget to let me know what you think. I am going to try my very best to get the next chapter out soon, but it always depends on homework and school, so be patient. I'll also apologize for any errors that are probably there, I'm tired and I need sleep, but I will go over the chapter and fix things as soon as I get some sleep. Everyone have a great weekend and thanks for reading!

Joey


	31. Misunderstandings

.............................

**Misunderstandings**

.............................

Yuffie was released from the hospital a week later and Tifa a few days after. Yuffie found that she still couldn't sleep and though she didn't want to get drugged up, she found herself taking the pills for a few hours of sleep at night. The nights following her rescue, she had woken up in a cold sweat from a nightmare in the hospital, feeling the agony of the electroshocks as if they had still been stinging her skin.

Vincent had been there most nights to soothe her by rubbing her sweat matted hair back from her forehead, but there were nights when she had made him leave to get some rest. On the day of her release from the hospital, Vincent had gone to pick her up and had offered his home for her while she recuperated, but Yuffie had declined. She had could feel the distance creeping up between them after the moment they had spent together in her hospital room and she was afraid that nothing would be able to feel that void soon.

Yuffie sighed to herself as she walked around her home in the middle of the night. She had refrained from taking the sleeping pills that night and found that she'd only gotten roughly three hours of sleep. Lily was in her crib peacefully, and Yuffie found herself watching the baby as she slept. She was the cutest thing Yuffie had ever seen—and she was quite certain that she'd thought that many times before—and it was obvious that the infant would grow up to be a beautiful woman. The shock of black hair on Lily's head was now long and thick enough to hold a bow, and those blue eyes would work to charm the boys once she was old enough to know about that.

Yuffie had caught a glimpse of Rose a few days before when Aerith had brought her over to visit Lily, and she was surprised to see how alike the two babies looked. The only real difference was the color of their eyes. If she hadn't known they came from different mother's, Yuffie would have wagered that they were twins or something. The ninja sighed and stepped back when Lily rubbed her little nose and nearly woke up, but then she settled back into the warm blankets and kept sleeping.

Walking out of the nursery, Yuffie found her feet carrying her to the room that had been Godo's. She hesitantly stepped inside and found that the room had lost all traces of her father's scent. It was clean, and dust free, but Godo's spicy cologne was gone from the air. Yuffie felt her eyes water when she spotted the picture of her mother and father together, sitting on his nightstand.

Though Godo hadn't always been the best father in the world, Yuffie could recognize the fact that he had tried to be the best he could. He hadn't been the most emotional, but he had shown pride in the women she and Tifa had grown into. Yuffie would never forgive herself for a coming home too late. With a sigh, she settled into the arm chair sitting in one corner, near the television where her father had sat to watch his stocks and drink his morning coffee, tears leaving trails on her cheeks.

There were no more sobs left in her, but there seemed to be an endless supply of tears and no end to them in sight. She let her mind wander back to the picture and comforted herself with the idea that her mother and father were together, being watched over by Leviathan himself. Before she knew it, her eyes had closed and she was fast asleep once more.

…

When she came to, she was in her own bed, in her room, and with the blankets tucked snugly around her. Sitting up, Yuffie realized that it had been the first night in a long time that she had slept more than five hours. She pulled on her black robe—the one Vincent had given her long ago—and made her way down towards the kitchen, being drawn in by the smell of bacon and eggs. She smiled when she spotted Tifa cooking and Zack trying to spoon feed the baby some kind of breakfast concoction that looked flavorless.

"Morning sleeping beauty," Zack said with a wink.

"Careful or I might get jealous," Tifa said mildly, setting the eggs onto a plate.

"Thanks." The ninja managed a diminutive smile. "I didn't think you'd allow her to cook so soon," Yuffie said to Zack.

"Yeah, well, it was either allow her to make breakfast, or have _no _breakfast at all. And I must say that I'm kinda hungry this morning," he replied cheerfully.

"Yeah, love will do that to you," Yuffie said with a slight snort, taking a seat across from him at the kitchen island. "Are you really feeling up to cooking?" she asked her cousin.

Tifa nodded. "There's an ache in my stomach still, but it's nothing I can't deal with. I just have to rest more than usual," she said, piling the bacon onto three plates.

Zack gave up his fight with Lily and the mush, and just sighed at the mess they had both made. There were blobs of food on the floor, all over Lily's chair, a nice gooey mess over her mouths and cheeks, and some smeared on his arms and pajama shirt. "You enjoy making a monkey out of me, huh?" he asked the girl.

Lily just grinned and showed off the first tooth that was growing out. Her grin was all Zack, and it made Tifa smile fondly from the stove. Zack took the baby out of her high chair and just sighed when sticky hands were planted right on his face. He planted loud smooching kisses on her face and smiled at the giggles coming from her. "I'll be right back. I'm going to change her clothes," he said before walking away.

There was silence for a long moment, only the sounds of the pans and spatula clattering as Tifa hummed softly to herself. Yuffie bit off a small piece of bacon and sighed. She and Tifa hadn't had a chance to talk since they had both left the hospital. Of course, they had shared a weepy welcome and had kept each other company in the aftermath, but neither had broached the subject of what Yuffie had gone through and Tifa's near death experience.

"Teef… I've been meaning to thank you for what you did. I just… I haven't been myself since I came back," Yuffie said in a small voice. "A part of me would've died if you had succeeded in giving your life for me," she said, voice cracking.

Tifa turned off the burners and the spatula clattered against the pan before she turned to look at Yuffie. Her eyes were shining in her luminous face, and Yuffie realized that she did have a sob left in her as Tifa's arms came around her. "You can't know what you mean to me, Yuffie. My life without you would've been hell."

"Same here," Yuffie said with a watery smile, mindful of Tifa's still healing wound. "Thank you. Thank you for coming for me, and for nearly dying for me, and for making sure that I had a future to look forward to."

Tifa nodded and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. "And because I care about your future too, I'll urge you to talk to Vincent. Clear things up," she said quietly.

Yuffie gave her a look as Tifa moved away, cleaning her own tears with the backs of her hands. "Why do you say that?" she asked curiously.

Tifa sighed heavily and leaned against the cabinet next to the stove. "Zack just told me this, and he made me promise not to say anything, but naturally I can't keep anything this important from you." She paused. "Vincent is thinking of leaving Midgar."

Yuffie's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

Tifa shrugged. "Zack wouldn't tell me why. He just said that Vincent is leaving him and Sephiroth in charge at the office, though the presidency he will leave to you. No word on where he's going."

"And he wasn't going to tell me?" Yuffie asked softly.

Tifa just shrugged one shoulder, as if to say, "I don't know," before she handed Yuffie a glass of juice and the vitamins her doctor had prescribed after the nearly two weeks of starving while captive by Genesis.

Yuffie sighed to herself and picked at the rest of her breakfast, trying to think of the wisest thing to do. She had seen him two days ago, when he had come to visit her while she had been sitting outside under a large patio umbrella, her knees drawn up against her chest and her eyes staring into the distance. When he had called to her, called her name several times, she had seen a deep worry for her reflected in his eyes. He had been worried about the state she had been left in, maybe he thought that she had been permanently damaged. She knew that with a some time she would be back to herself, but for now, for now she was allowed to _not_ be herself.

Vincent had just sat with her for a while, but the worry had never left his gaze. He had talked to her a little about the process that would follow Genesis and Loz's arrest. He had put her up to speed with how the situation was being handled, and had said that Loz would be able to get the insanity plea bargain—since he really hadn't seemed in his right mind from the moment Yuffie had met him anyway—but Genesis would go down for kidnapping, three attempted murder counts, including one against herself, Vincent, and Tifa, and one count of murder. Godo would get justice, Yuffie had realized with a painful squeeze to her heart. Not revenge by her hand, but true justice.

The only person that hadn't been linked to anything had been Lucrecia, and maybe she really hadn't done any of the things Genesis had, but Yuffie was willing to bet that the other woman had known about his plans all along and that made her an accomplice anyway. One day she would slip-up and Yuffie would be right there to pound a confession out of her with relish.

Zack returned with Lily, clean and absolutely cute once more, and hesitated as to how to hold her while he ate breakfast because the highchair was still a mess. Yuffie stopped his dilemma and offered her arms to the baby, who gladly went towards her. "I'll take her, since she's done with breakfast."

"She still needs her morning bottle," said Tifa, approaching with said bottle and kissing Lily's tiny nose.

"I don't mind," said Yuffie, taking the bottle before Tifa could protest. "We'll be outside, taking some sun," she said before walking through the open sliding door in the kitchen, a gurgling, smiling infant in her arms.

Both Zack and Tifa watched her go with expressions of worry on their faces. "She's not okay, is she?" Zack asked quietly.

Tifa shook her head. "Something changed after Genesis captured her. I just… can't imagine what. I can understand that it was a traumatic experience, but I hope that it's not permanent."

"I'm sure she'll get over it. All you have to do is be there for her when she needs you," Zack said quietly, kissing her knuckles.

Tifa smiled slightly, but the worry wouldn't leave her alone. This was the moment when Yuffie needed Vincent the most and he wasn't there for her. "Why don't you think of moving in here with me… at least while Yuffie figures out how to deal with all this without Vincent?" she asked.

Zack let out a sigh and nodded. "I think that would be the best choice right now. I can… try to talk to Vince about this. What do you think?"

"I don't think it would be a good idea. Vincent needs to come for Yuffie on his own, not because he's being prompted by someone else. Let's just… give it some time. If things don't get better, we'll talk to him," Tifa said.

Zack ran a hand through his spikes. "I don't know how long we have before he's gone, though. He wouldn't tell me."

"Then we'll leave this up to Yuffie," Tifa said in worry, her maroon colored eyes reflecting her worry. Zack just hugged her around the waist gently and offered no other comment.

……

The scandal of Genesis' trial was ten times larger than the one of her marriage to Vincent had been. Since she hadn't bothered to leave her home since she had been released from the hospital—which had been a few weeks back already—Yuffie hadn't known how bad things would get once she stepped foot outside of her property. Her car had been nearly swarmed by reporters shouting questions, video cameras, and flashes going off. She had done her best to not run them over, and Tifa had just made a disgusted noise as she looked at them. She really had nothing against the media—except for the little fact that they did _anything_ to get a story, including nearly jumping in front of the car—but this was ridiculous.

The trial had been accelerated by Vincent and a few of Godo's old friends. Everyone wanted to see his killer put in prison. The accusations were thrown back and forth and Genesis had even gone as far as to accuse her of being his lover while she had been supposedly married happily to Vincent. That she was the one trying to take revenge against him because he had ended their affair, that she had made it all up. But it was a weak argument, Angeal told her. The police had seen the glass cell, remnants of the drug he had used on her, and the hospital had the report of her physical condition when they had found her, and the fact that Tifa had been shot from a gun that held only Genesis' fingerprints were all factors against him.

By the time the first day of the trial was over, her head was pounding and the scars on her wrists were itching, despite having been healed for some time now. As they all filed out of the courtroom, she noticed Vincent hanging back, his eyes on hers. Yuffie paused and Tifa just smiled at her, walking out to give her some space.

Thick silence surrounded them both as they slowly walked out of the room and the doors shut behind them. "You do know that he was lying about me being his lover, right?" Yuffie asked him quietly. She didn't know why she felt the need to reassure any good image Vincent still held of her.

Vincent let out a long, heavy sigh and nodded. "I believed you when you told me that nothing had happened before," he said quietly, not meeting her eyes.

She stared at the long locks of his hair as they tumbled freely over his shoulders and the question was out of her mouth before she could stop it. "You're leaving."

His gaze finally snapped to hers, his heart nearly seizing in his chest when he noticed the sadness in her own eyes. He didn't want to cause her anymore pain. That was _why_ he was leaving. "I believe it's for the best," he replied.

"For who? You or me?" Yuffie asked, only partly successful in keeping the bitterness from her tone. The anger and the hurt were bubbling in her chest and all she wanted was to hug him, but she wouldn't be able to handle it if he pushed her away at this point. So she refrained.

Vincent shook his head and prepared to tell her his reasons—which were beginning to sound ridiculous even to himself—when they were interrupted by two Federal agents. "Mrs. Valentine?"

Yuffie turned to look at them with a frown as they flashed their badges at her. "Yes?"

"We have to ask you to accompany us," said one man.

"Why?" Vincent asked, a frown coming over his features as protectiveness took over.

"We have reason to believe that Mrs. Valentine has been involved in at least one, if not all, of the robberies that were perpetrated two, almost three years ago," said the second man.

Yuffie exhaled a breath and realized that some part of her had wondered if and when this day would come. But she wouldn't be stupid enough to say that she was guilty or that Cloud and Tifa had been in on it. Though she did know that they would naturally be investigated if they had any evidence against them. "Fine," she murmured.

"Mrs. Yuffie Valentine, you are under arrest…"

His voice trailed off to her ears as Yuffie's brown gaze shifted to Vincent and they stared at each other. She shook her head and closed her eyes when she was read her rights and cuffed. She swallowed hard and looked at Vincent again. "I'm innocent," she said quietly to him.

He nodded his head once, reaching up to brush his knuckles across her smooth, youthful cheek. "I will investigate this and have you out before you know it."

Yuffie smirked bitterly when Tifa walked back over to them. Tifa nearly let out a curse of indignation at the sight of Yuffie in cuffs. "What's going on here?" she demanded.

"Vincent will explain. All I need you to do is handle the press," Yuffie said as the men began to walk her towards the back of the building, away from the reporters still waiting for them at the front.

"Where will you be taking her?" Vincent asked the man who wasn't walking her.

"Here," he said, handing over a card. "You will provide her lawyer?" Vincent nodded. "Good. When her lawyer arrives, we will begin to interrogate Mrs. Valentine."

Vincent watched in helpless anxiety as they took Yuffie towards a black car and the part of him that was still a Turk, still calculating, was telling him that they could potentially be lying about who they were and were taking Yuffie away to hurt her more. He turned to Tifa as the woman gnawed her lower lip in worry. "We should leave this place before I can explain anything," he said.

Tifa nodded and followed him, hoping against everything that they weren't taking Yuffie because of their many heists. They had always been careful, what the hell had happened? She tried to think desperately about any clues and came up with nothing. Even the media harassing her didn't faze her. Once in the security of her car, Vincent explained what was happening as quickly as he could.

"Head towards the place they're taking Yuffie. She was arrested because there's some proof for one of the robberies. I will arrive with Angeal once I locate him," he instructed.

Tifa nodded and felt her heart sink to her feet. "Don't leave her alone in this, Vincent. She has needed you all this time and you haven't been there for her," she said furiously.

Vincent gave her a guilty look, crimson eyes apologetic. "I will ensure her freedom and get her through this," he said, tone grave.

"But then you're going to leave anyway," Tifa said flatly.

"That is not something that we should be discussing at this moment," Vincent said before stepping out of the car. "I will get Yuffie out, I assure you."

Tifa just nodded and watched him go before rubbing a hand across her face and nearly breaking into worried tears. Shaking her head, she looked at the address on the card and drove off. She would do all in her own power to get her cousin out. Yuffie would not get the chance to set foot in a prison.

………

Yuffie paced her cell like a caged animal. Being in such an enclosed space was bringing back unpleasant memories of her time in a glass cell. She felt anxiety and anger boiling up inside her, enough to make her want to pull out her hair in exasperation. The cell was only one step better than the ones in the county jail, but that wasn't saying much. Yuffie looked up when the man in the suit walked in with someone she recognized. "You dirty bitch," Yuffie muttered.

Lucrecia just cleared her throat and looked at the man. "Thank you for escorting me in, but would you mind leaving us?" she asked sweetly. Yuffie made a disgusted face when the man smiled and left them alone. Lucrecia's eyes darted back to Yuffie and she smiled serenely. "Finally where you belong."

Yuffie continued to pace as her hands itched with the urge to reach through the bars to wrap around the other woman's neck. "So you're the one behind all this," she said darkly. "I have to ask though, how did you pull this off?"

Lucrecia kept that sickeningly sweet smile on her face and sighed. "I found a very interesting video in Vincent's office a while back," she said.

Yuffie shook her head with a derisive sigh. Vincent had _promised_ to get rid of those. She was going to kick his ass when she next spoke to him. "That video proves nothing. Besides, you stole from Vincent and he will never side with you again."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Lucrecia said.

Yuffie smiled and approached the bars. "Vincent knows that you're Genesis' sister," she said with cold malice.

Lucrecia's brown eyes widened and she took a step back, but she quickly regained her composure and shook her head. "You'll say anything to save yourself, won't you? But back to the point… I know that the video doesn't prove you're involved in all of the other robberies, but it does show you _are_ a professional. That you've stolen things before."

Yuffie grit her teeth. "You won't ever be able to prove it from that video. Not without Vincent to corroborate what you're accusing me of. Just you wait. When I get out of here, I'm going to make sure that you need a brand new nose again," she said smugly. Just seeing Lucrecia—though she was loathe to admit it—was bringing Yuffie out of the depression she had felt herself falling into after her capture at the hands of Genesis and Loz. The anger and rage were enough to draw her back from that dangerous edge, and Yuffie did hate Lucrecia's guts, she was slightly thankful to see that she _would_ eventually return to normal.

Tifa chose that moment to walk in and the man in the suit turned to Lucrecia. "I'm sorry Miss, but since you're not family, you do not take priority," he said.

Yuffie glared at the taller woman. "I'll see you when I get out, Lucrecia," she said, a definite note of a threat in her tone.

Tifa watched her go before she rushed towards the bars and hugged Yuffie as best she could. "Vincent is going to bring Angeal. He'll be here soon."

The ninja nodded and sighed heavily. "Lucrecia said that she found the video that Vincent was blackmailing me with. It's what she used to get me brought in. I don't think they can link me to anything else," she whispered.

"We shouldn't talk here. We never know who's listening," Tifa murmured. "But you're right. Vincent will never let you fall because of that video. Besides, I can assure you that there's no _other_ evidence."

Yuffie sighed and sat on the cot, her wrists itching again. She realized that it would probably be a good idea to see her shrink again, because she was almost positive that her wrists itching had something to do with her head going a little crazy after her captivity. "We'll get out of this," Tifa murmured. "Even if we have to break you out."

Yuffie just smiled and jumped to her feet when Vincent stepped in with the man in the suit again. "Only one visit at a time," said the man in irritation. "But since you're both family, I'll let you decide."

"I'll wait outside, Yuffie," Tifa said without a second thought.

Yuffie shook her head. "I appreciate you being here, Teef, but go home and spend time with Lily. If anything changes, Vince will call you. Won't you?" she asked Vincent the last question.

He nodded. "I will," he said before Tifa walked off with the other man. Vincent turned to look at Yuffie, searching her face as if to make sure that she was okay and in one piece. "Something else to add to the list of ways that I have hurt you," he said in a low voice, staring into her eyes and ignoring the warmth he had felt in his chest as she had called him 'Vince.'

Yuffie sighed heavily and shook her head. "Did you get rid of all of the videos you had of me?"

"I did," Vincent said seriously. "I even destroyed the copy I had on my computer. I figure that Lucrecia more than likely snuck in one day and found the file on my computer and took the opportunity to copy it," he said with a long sigh. He reached a hand up to brush it against her fingers around the bars. His breath came out shaky when her fingers closed around his gently, pressing his hand to her face. "Did you mean what you said when you thought that I would pull the trigger in front of you and Genesis?"

Yuffie swallowed hard and her heart began to pound in her chest. She recalled the exact words he was referring to. "Would… it change your decision of leaving?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. "But it _is_ something that I had been waiting very long to hear."

Yuffie nodded, about to say the words to him again, realizing that it wasn't as hard as it had been a few weeks back, but then the men in the suits stepped in to take them both into interrogation. Vincent turned back to Yuffie and rubbed her cheek once more. "I will say that you were playing a practical joke, that I let you keep the painting afterwards as a wedding gift," he said rapidly.

"Okay," Yuffie nodded, stepping back and away from his touch when the agents walked over to unlock her cell door and Vincent was escorted out.

Almost three hours later, she was free. Lucrecia had accomplished nothing but giving Yuffie a headache and wasting more than three hours of her life. With Vincent's statement and her own being quite similar, they had let her walk with an apology after they had gotten a report of DNA at one of the robberies belonging to a male. Yuffie had to wonder how that had happened, but she didn't question it. As she and Vincent walked out of the building, side by side, they spotted Lucrecia coming towards them, a furious look on her face.

Yuffie sneered. "Didn't I tell you that you wouldn't get your way?" she asked the other woman.

Lucrecia looked at Vincent. "How could you let her walk when you _know_ that she is the one responsible for all of the robberies? She's a thief!"

Vincent shook his head. "I cannot believe that I ever felt anything for you," he said in disgust, his eyes a deeper shade of red in his anger.

Lucrecia gave him a hurt look and shook her head. "This isn't about what you felt for me," she said in a low voice. "This is about justice for the people _she_ stole from," she said, gracing Yuffie with a fierce glare.

"I stole _nothing_," Yuffie said nonchalantly, enjoying the way the other woman's face tightened into a scowl.

"You _did_," Lucrecia said through clenched teeth.

Yuffie understood with crystal clarity in that moment. Lucrecia was accusing her of stealing Vincent away from her. The ninja slowly closed the distance between them, so as not to alarm Vincent or give Lucrecia an indication of what she was planning to do. "This isn't about justice. This is about you… getting your revenge because you couldn't keep Vincent by your side once I came along," she said with a disgusted scoff. "Petty."

"Don't pretend to understand my reasons. You don't," Lucrecia snapped. "I just believe that a criminal should not walk the streets without punishment."

Yuffie's hands fisted as the rage came back full force in her chest. The feeling was almost suffocating, but she reigned it in. "What about justice for my father?" she spat, closing the distance left betwen her and the taller woman. "Were you aware of what your brother was planning to do to him?" she hissed, ignoring Vincent's hand as he clasped her shoulder gently.

"No," Lucrecia said vehemently. "I wouldn't have participated in the death of anyone, even if it was your father."

"But you knew that he had me," Yuffie said in a low voice. "You knew of what he was doing to me and you allowed him to plan to murder Vincent by using me as bait."

Lucrecia hesitated for a second, but it was enough for Yuffie. She drew back her arm and sent it flying to Lucrecia's face again. Was that the third or fourth time she had punched the other woman out? She would've lunged at her—possibly to tear some hair out and maybe maim Lucrecia a little—but Vincent was there, wrapping his arms around her as some agents approached them and helped Lucrecia to her feet.

"This isn't the last we'll see of each other," Lucrecia spat in a voice distorted by her more-than-likely broken nose.

"I'll be looking forward to it," Yuffie snapped, trying to wrestle herself from Vincent's hold as he began to lead her away, lest Lucrecia decide to accuse Yuffie of assault.

He let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. "You don't know when to leave things alone, do you?" Vincent asked her quietly.

Yuffie finally shoved away from him with a glare on her face. "She _knew_ about Genesis' plan. What were you expecting I do? Sit around and twiddle my thumbs while she tries to hurt me a little more?" she nearly yelled.

"Of course not, but it doesn't work as well if we find our own justice. Lucrecia was an accomplice and she will fall," Vincent said in quiet conviction.

Yuffie just shook her head and ran agitated fingers through her short, silky hair. Lucrecia had almost succeeded in sending her, Tifa, and Cloud to prison. All for A petty revenge. HAd Yuffie herself seemed this irrational while she spewed her own procalmations of revenge? She tried to swallow back her tears of frustration from the day she'd had, but her efforts weren't as effective as they were on Tifa when she refrained from crying in front of her. She flinched away from Vincent's touch, but couldn't bring herself to shove him away when his arms suddenly came around her like warm steel. "Let it out," he murmured against her head. "Don't keep this bottled inside."

"Why do you care?" Yuffie choked against his chest, tears trailing down her cheeks endlessly.

"I will always care," Vincent said gently, brushing his fingers through her hair.

Yuffie found that hard to believe, even as his arms tightened around her and held her as if she were something precious. All her questions and demands were resting on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything. For the first time in her life, she wouldn't explode and demand in her usual loud voice. He held her, standing near his car until her sobs subsided into gentle hiccups and long shudders.

"I'll take you home," Vincent said, watching her draw away from him slowly.

She nodded and kept her gaze on the ground. "Will you at least stay until Genesis is convicted?" Yuffie asked quietly.

Vincent brushed away a final, stray tear that trailed down her face. "If it is what you wish."

"You've filed for our divorce already?" Yuffie asked, failing to keep her voice from cracking.

"Not yet," Vincent said. He opened the door to his car and ushered her in. The drive to her home was a quiet one, only broken by Yuffie's still shaking sighs. There were moments when she thought that his gaze was burning into her, but every time she turned slightly to look, his eyes would be on the road. There was no way she could demand he stay, and she couldn't even bring herself to tell him again that she loved him. The ache was spreading in her chest and there was nothing that would be able to take it away once Vincent was gone from her life.

They sat silently in his car once he stopped in front of her home. Finally, Yuffie turned to him and sighed. "Thanks," she muttered.

"Yuffie," he called as she stepped out of his car. She turned to give him a questioning look. "All I want is for you to be happy. I was the one who caused you to suffer. That is why I'm leaving," he said quietly.

"Right," Yuffie said, her eyes going distant from him, even when her lips curled into a small smile. She shut the door and walked away from him, not looking back, though she wanted to. Once in the safety of her home, Yuffie let out a ragged breath and would've broken down if she hadn't caught sight of silver and green.

Yazoo approached her slowly and took her hands in his, giving her a squeeze. "Are you alright?" he asked her gently.

Yuffie let out a shuddery breath and then nodded, offering a weak smile. "I'm as good as I'll get at this moment," she replied, walking with him towards the sitting room. "What are you doing here?"

"Kadaj and I came to apologize personally for what Loz did," he said quietly. "We always knew that he wasn't mentally stable, but we…"

"We never took him seriously," Kadaj interrupted from his seat on the arm of the couch in the sitting room. "We know that the harm he caused you cannot be undone."

Yuffie just sighed softly. "He needs to be put somewhere he won't be able to hurt someone else because_ 'it's what mother would've wanted.'_ You two can't watch him twenty-four hours a day, and he won't get out of this situation without some sort of punishment," she said seriously.

Yazoo nodded. "We've already thought about what we'll do to help him. If he gets the insanity plea, he'll be taken to a place where he won't hurt himself or others," he said quietly.

Kadaj nodded. "We just came here to apologize, to repay you for the days you were taken, and to tell you that we will be leaving the city."

Yuffie's eyebrow raised in question. "Repay me? What do you mean by that?" she asked in curiosity, taking a seat in front of Kadaj.

The shorter-haired man leaned forward and gave her a mischievous look. "You may have heard from the police that they found male DNA at one of the crime scenes," he said with meaning.

Yuffie cocked her head to the side before a grin took over her features. "You planted it?" she asked in amazement.

Yazoo nodded. "Don't ask how, because thieves should never divulge their secrets," he said playfully, his green eyes glittering in his handsome, pale face.

"But why are you leaving? What about Loz?" Yuffie asked. She didn't particularly care about his fate—especially after knowing that he had been the one frying her and injecting her with crap—but she _had_ found a soft spot for Yazoo and maybe even Kadaj, though he seemed far colder than his brother.

"We will take Loz to a facility in Kalm. He will find the help he needs there, and Kadaj and I will be there for him. We've made enough money to retire without any worries aside from taking care of our brother. We will go when the trial is over," Yazoo said.

Kadaj stood from his seat and approached Yuffie, extending his hand. Yuffie took it and they shook, a frown still on her face. "It was a pleasure knowing a professional of our 'trade' like yourself," he said.

"Thanks," Yuffie said with a nod. "Thanks for saving my ass, twice."

Kadaj just offered her a smirk before walking away and leaving her alone with Yazoo. Yazoo took a seat in front of her and placed his face against his closed fist as he leaned on the back of the couch. "Will you tell me what's really wrong with you?"

Yuffie looked away from his eyes and let out an exhausted sigh. "Vincent is leaving."

"Leaving to go where?" Yazoo asked curiously.

She shrugged. "Don't know. But he's going away once the trial is over too. He's just going to… to give up and I can't… I don't want to think of what my life will be like without him here," Yuffie said softly, feeling as if her heart wanted to jump out of her chest and go with him. She shook her head and closed her eyes.

"Why don't you tell him how you feel?" Yazoo's voice was soft, almost lulling and peaceful. His hand moved to brush her cheek and she opened her eyes to look at him. "Do you love him?"

"Yes," Yuffie murmured. "But he's in this state of mind where he thinks that all he's ever done is hurt me. But he's given me good memories too. He would've given his life for me without a second thought, he watched over me when I had a nightmare, and he's the first man I've ever loved," she said, a few tears stubbornly making their way down her cheeks.

Yazoo pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back soothingly. _"Tell him," _he stressed. Pushing Yuffie back, he brushed her tears away and smiled. Even though her eyes were red rimmed and her cheeks were flushed, he couldn't really find her unattractive.

"Easier said than done," Yuffie said, offering him a weak smile.

"I have to go, but I don't want to leave knowing that you won't do anything to help your own happiness along," Yazoo said somberly.

"I can't promise you anything, but I'll try," Yuffie replied, her mood brightening a little.

"Good," Yazoo said, shoving his bangs from his eyes to better look at her. "Just one last thing before I go. In case we don't see each other after this."

Before Yuffie could question what that was, Yazoo had leaned over to kiss her. His kiss was gentle, all lips and only a touch of tongue, but he didn't go any further. Despite the placidness of his kiss, it distracted her enough to not hear the front door open. When Yazoo moved back from her, movement from her peripheral vision caught her attention and Yuffie turned her head, her mouth going dry.

Yazoo turned to see what had caught her attention and let out an explosive sigh, shaking his head. "Perfect timing," he muttered to Yuffie.

"Vincent," Yuffie said, jumping to her feet and giving him an anxious, guilty look. There were so many turbulent emotions behind his eyes, Yuffie just wanted to crawl under a rock and stay there for putting that betrayed look on his face. "Vincent," she said again, taking a step towards him.

"I'm interrupting," Vincent said, his eyes on Yuffie. He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed, but he supposed that he had pushed her into doing it. After all, he had basically promised her a divorce and he had assured her that he was as good as gone once the trial was over. He shook his head to himself and tore his gaze from her after a moment of staring, of trying to burn out the image of her kissing another man. He had never felt pain in his chest the way he did in that moment, seeing her in the arms of another, knowing that he needed to let her go in order for her to be truly happy. It hurt. It hurt _so _much.

When she said nothing after long moments of silence, Vincent just pursed his lips and turned to walk out, leaving them alone once more. "_That_ is not helping your situation along," Yazoo muttered. "Should I go out there and explain this to him?"

"Leviathan…" she muttered, shaking her head and nearly pulling out her hair in exasperation. The look on his face... the look of complete betrayal that had crossed his eyes... she had felt his pain as if it had been her own. Was love really supposed to hurt this much? Why had he come back? What had he wante to say to her? "This is something that _I _have to fix myself. If there's anything left to fix," she muttered faintly.

Yazoo pressed a kiss to her forehead and gave her a rueful look. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. Just… go on with your life and be happy," Yuffie said.

Yazoo stood and began to walk towards the door. He stopped and turned back to her, flashing her a wink. "You deserve to be happy. You're a princess among thieves, and a princess _always_ gets her happy ending," he said before he walked away.

Yuffie just rubbed a tired hand across her face and stood, grimacing when her stomach protested. She had missed lunch that afternoon, maybe that was why she was feeling a little nauseous. She shook her head to herself and wondered where her life would take her now. If she decided to leave things the way they were, Vincent would leave, and she would be a free woman again. Free to move on, free to be with another man, free to live her life however she wanted. Why was it then, that she didn't feel happy and relieved the way she had thought she would when this moment finally arrived? Why did it feel like there was a gaping hole in her heart that would never be filled unless she managed to find a way to make Vincent stay?

She had two choices. Clear up the misunderstanding, and ask Vincent to stay, or leave things the way they were and risk having her heart die little by little without him. Either way, she would have to put her heart on the line and she didn't know if she was strong enough to have her heart broken. Maybe time would give her an answer to her problem.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

Ha! So this wasn't the end… I know, I know, I'm kinda drawing it out, but I just couldn't make this chapter any longer. Be warned though, that the next chapter _is _the official end. I hope this one wasn't too vague, but the next should tie up all loose ends. Once more, I would like to thank everyone who took the time to review. Your opinions are always, always appreciated and it does help an author know that their writing is liked. Also, just so you all know, I'm already plotting my next AU, and though I can't be too sure if it will ever be posted, know that it'll be a CloudTifa. So I must go, since I have class and it's already past midnight here. Everyone have a great day and I'll try my best to have the ending out soon!

Joey

P.S. Is anyone else completely excited to see X-Men Origins? Gosh… Hugh Jackman is so fine!(I go into fangirl mode when I think about him)


	32. Letting Go

_I know I said I'd post this yesterday, so I'm sorry!_

.............................

**Letting Go**

.............................

"Guilty."

The words echoed through her head for a few seconds, and Yuffie had to remember to keep breathing. He was guilty. He would be put away for her father's murder. Everything else didn't matter to her. Godo had his justice and he would find peace in the other world. Before Tifa even had a chance to blink, Yuffie had left her side and was approaching Genesis in quick strides, sidestepping the guards and ignoring their orders for her to step away.

Genesis turned to look at her with cool eyes and gave her a haughty smirk. The expression was quickly removed from his face when both her fists made contact with his face. He went down, flat on his back with red exploding over his face. Tifa was quickly at Yuffie's side as the judge yelled at the guards to get her out of the room. "I'll take her," Tifa said quickly, ushering Yuffie back when the guards moved towards her.

"It's little compared to what he deserves," Yuffie hissed, her eyes eerily dry. Tifa just nodded and offered no comment. "Lucrecia ran off. I'm debating on whether or not to have someone find her and bring her back," she said in a monotone.

Her toneless voice worried Tifa more than her actions. She shook her head. "Let her go. She knows better than to come back here," she urged.

Yuffie hoped that the other woman never showed her face around there again or she would make sure that she spent the rest of her days in prison—as it was, Yuffie was tempted to have someone find her just so that she could keep taps on Lucrecia. Her eyes trailed to the back of the courtroom and she spotted Vincent standing there, near the door. Their eyes met and Yuffie swallowed hard when unreadable eyes met hers. She began to walk towards him, intent on explaining what it was that he had seen transpire between herself and Yazoo. He didn't give her the chance though as he deftly slipped through the doors and walked away before she could even come within five feet of him.

Tifa wrapped an arm across Yuffie's shoulders and gave her a warm squeeze as she saw the desolate look in her cousin's eyes. "Zack says that he's leaving tomorrow," she said quietly.

Yuffie's bottom lip trembled and she bit into it painfully, feeling the skin break beneath the pressure of her teeth. "I guess there's nothing I can do but let him go. I… received the divorce papers this morning," she said.

Angeal walked over to them before Tifa could say anything else and he gave her an apologetic look. "Vincent will give you some time to consider what he's offering you in the divorce settlement."

"Where is he going?" Yuffie asked, blinking dry eyes.

"That is information that I cannot disclose," he said with an unhappy sigh.

"Did he tell you specifically not tell me?" Yuffie asked, turning to look at the tall man before her. He wasn't nearly as tall as Sephiroth, but he was close. Those handsome, slightly slanted eyes were giving her a shrewd look, and Yuffie scowled to herself. "Did he… tell you not to tell me where the airport holding his jet is?" she asked with meaning.

Angeal gave her another look and then slowly smiled. "I don't believe he did," he said quietly. "I will tell you this because I know how much the both of you have gone through, and that this can't be the end… even with the divorce option on the table. He is going to be at the Edge Airport tomorrow at two in the afternoon. It's a private airport."

Yuffie nodded. "Thank you. I know where that one is," she said, hoping it didn't sound so rude. Angeal merely inclined his head once. Yuffie extended her hand and he gripped it snugly. "Thank you… for helping me put Genesis where he belongs."

"It was a pleasure working with you, Yuffie," Angeal said. "It was really a shame that we couldn't link Lucrecia to any of this," he said.

Yuffie nodded. "Hopefully she'll know better and she will stay away for the rest of her days. Otherwise I _will _find something to incriminate her with," she said darkly.

Angeal decided to ignore her comment because he truly did appreciate the young woman, and because Vincent had always been a good friend to him. It did make him wonder though, what she would be capable of if left to her own devices. "I do hope that things work out for you and Vincent. Between you and me…" he started, leaning towards her and lowering his voice. "I despise the divorce process. I am of the mind that a man should marry once and for the rest of his life," he said with a wink.

Yuffie managed an honest smile. "How is it that you aren't married yet?"

"I ask myself the same question," Angeal said with a smirk. "I wish you only the best, Yuffie. I look forward to hearing from you in order to cancel the divorce." With that, he walked away, leaving Yuffie and Tifa alone once more.

Tifa smiled. "You know… if I didn't have Zack," she said, trailing off as they watched Angeal disappear.

"Yeah, me too," Yuffie said with a grin. She'd certainly run after Angeal herself. Especially when she knew the arms the tailored suit was hiding. But it wouldn't really work, she thought with a wry smile. Angeal was even taller than Vincent _and _Zack. She turned to Tifa as she shook the inane thoughts out of her head. "I don't know what I should do," she admitted.

Tifa slipped her arm around Yuffie's, her maroon colored eyes reflecting her worry. "I know it's going to sound corny, but follow your heart. It'll tell you what you need to do," she said before they walked out and towards the car that had been parked in the back to avoid the press.

Yuffie smiled lightly and nodded. She would have to follow her heart. She would also have to figure out if it would be worth it to go after Vincent now that he had gotten the divorce papers to her. Still, before Vincent left, Yuffie felt the need to clear up what it was that he had seen between her and Yazoo. If he decided to leave afterwards, well, she wouldn't stop him.

As they rode in the back seat of the black car—which Tifa had opted to hire a driver for—Yuffie leaned back against the seat and grimaced when she felt the nausea rolling in again. She had been feeling it on and off again for a few days now, and she had ignored Tifa's wishes to go see a doctor. After all, she'd had to worry about making Genesis pay before she could worry about herself again.

Tifa noted the way her skin paled and the grimace on Yuffie's face and shook her head. "You're pregnant," she announced abruptly.

"_What?!_" Yuffie shrieked, nearly startling the driver into the lane next to theirs. "Sorry!" she called before turning to her nutty cousin. "I am _not_ pregnant," Yuffie said hotly.

Tifa crossed her arms over her chest and gave her that irritating motherly look before turning to look ahead of them. "Can you please stop at the nearest drug store for a moment?" Tifa asked the driver.

"Yes, ma'am," said the man, driving towards the place they had requested.

"_What_ are you doing?" Yuffie asked, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"We're going to get you a pregnancy test. Isn't there _any_ possibility that I'm right? When was the last time that you and Vincent… you know…" Tifa trailed off, finally looking uncomfortable.

Yuffie was vindictively pleased to know that Tifa was just as mortified about the situation as she was. "At the hospital, after you all rescued me from Genesis," she replied, a blush staining her cheeks. "I just… wasn't thinking about the consequences at that moment. I wanted—_needed_— comfort, and he gave it to me."

"That was about a month and a-half ago…!" Tifa said in dismay. "How could you not feel the symptoms?"

"I was worried about the trial, and besides, I was shacking the nausea up to not eating right. I haven't been myself," Yuffie muttered. "Leviathan… can I really be pregnant?" she asked softly.

"Only one way to find out," Tifa said just as the car came to a stop and the driver stepped out to open the door for her and Yuffie.

Yuffie felt her knees nearly turn to jelly, and Tifa had to support her weight for a few seconds as she stepped out of the car and into the cloudy day. "I think I'm going to pass out," the ninja murmured.

"Yuffie, don't pass out until _after_ you've taken the test, deal?" Tifa asked pointedly.

She was right. Yuffie sucked in a big, gulping breath and nodded as she and Tifa walked into the store. It was only a tad embarrassing to shop for pregnancy tests, but Tifa made her buy three different brands and the ones that guaranteed a ninety-nine-point-yadda-yadda result. She really tried to ignore the weird look the pharmacist gave them at the three different boxes.

Once back at their home, Yuffie and Tifa sat together in her bedroom, counting the minutes for each pregnancy test to give them a result. Just to be obnoxious, Yuffie had taken them all at the same time, instead of one at a time the way Tifa had asked her to. Really, how would she be able to pee on three separate occasions if she'd barely been able to do it once?

Yuffie stared at Lily as the baby sat in Tifa's lap, gumming a frozen ring. Her tiny hands had better purchase on objects now, and her eyes were a wide and alert blue. She was also making the funniest cooing noises that Yuffie had ever heard. "What if it's positive?" she asked Tifa in a shaky voice, trying to imagine herself with her own baby on her lap. Somehow she couldn't.

"Then you'll tell Vincent and all this mess will be over," said Tifa with a shrug, as if it were the most obvious thing to do.

"I won't make him stay just for our kid. He needs to stay because he _wants _to. Because he _wants _me," Yuffie stressed, rubbing a tired hand over her eyes. Her sleeping settling into a more normal routine now. But… there were still times when nightmares of Godo's last minutes, of the electroshocks, of being caged inside a glass cell… those moments made Yuffie question her sanity and emotional stability. How would she bring a child into the world without a husband, and with so many raging emotions still on her plate?

"Time's up," said Tifa calmly, setting the baby into the bouncy chair she had brought in with her, before standing and taking Yuffie's limp hand. "It'll be okay," she assured her cousin. "No matter what happens, I'll be here for you."

Yuffie offered her a grateful smile and stood with her, slowly walking towards the bathroom. She felt as if she were walking down the plank—which was ridiculous because she couldn't _possibly_ know what that felt like. Unless she had been a pirate in her past life, but she was getting sidetracked—though she wasn't _entirely_ petrified with the prospect of carrying a Vincent or Yuffie jr. in her stomach. The argument still was whether she was ready to have a baby on her own. The little white tubes were sitting on the sink, as if challenging her to look at them. They couldn't be positive. They _couldn't_ be positive, Yuffie chanted mentally.

Tifa slowly pulled her closer until they were standing above them. Yuffie stared down. The results were unanimous. "You said I could pass out now," was all the warning Tifa received before Yuffie slumped in her arms.

"You are _such_ a drama queen," Tifa said with a little sigh, hefting her cousin up before the ninja had the chance to hit the floor. She pulled her onto the bed and sighed to herself, turning to look at Lily as the baby gazed back at her from her seat. "I think we need to call a doctor to make sure aunt Yuffie is okay," she murmured.

All the answer she received was a loud cry from her daughter, wanting to be picked up. "Let's go, sweetie. Let's see if we can find your daddy so that you and he can spend some quality time together."

……

Yuffie woke on a gasp, her heart thudding in her chest, and her eyes wide in the darkness of her room. Her head was aching, and she was nauseous again. It felt as if now that she _knew_, the pangs were coming more frequently than when she hadn't known. Falling back onto her bed, Yuffie ran her hands through her short hair, staring up at the ceiling of her room. "Pregnant…" she muttered into the darkness.

The tests had all been positive and the doctor that had come to check on her had drawn her blood and then gone to run the necessary tests. After a late phone call, Yuffie had had no doubt of the results. All that was left now was to see a proper doctor to tell her how far along she was. That was easy though—Yuffie knew that it had happened that afternoon in the hospital. "Damn it," she muttered with a choked sob. What was she supposed to do now? Tell Vincent or keep it to herself? What had she nagged at Tifa when _she _had been pregnant and hiding it from Zack? Vincent needed to know before he left, otherwise she would just be the biggest hypocrite in the world.

Looking up at her digital clock, her eyes nearly bugged out when she realized that it was already ten in the morning. Tifa must've shut the heavier drapes in order for her to sleep better. There were also some saltine crackers sitting on the nightstand and she remembered that Tifa had always kept some crackers on hand when she'd suffered of her own morning sickness with Lily. Stuffing nearly the entire cracker in her mouth as she sat up and groaned a little as the nausea started.

Shuffling slowly towards the shower, she scratched her head and sighed. She was feeling lazy and sick, but she knew that she would only have one opportunity to tell Vincent before he was gone, so with that thought in mind she felt the nausea ebb a little as she pulled off her pajamas and stepped into the hot water of her shower. Sleep hadn't come as easily as the past few nights for her last night, but she felt a little rested either way. She had to pause for a few seconds when her stomach protested with a mixed feeling off nausea and hunger and Yuffie grimaced as she finished showering and got out to dress.

Walking down towards the kitchen, clad in her usual clothing—because there was no sign that she was pregnant just yet, and she would take advantage of that to the last minute—she sniffed around the refrigerator and regretted it when the various scents assaulted her. "Ugh…" she said loudly, slamming the door closed and stepping back.

"Morning sunshine," came a sarcastic voice from behind her.

Yuffie turned and sent Cloud the darkest glare in her repertoire. "Not today, chocobo-head."

It was Cloud's turn to scowl at the hated nickname from his youth. "I hear there's a bun in the oven," he said casually.

The ninja nodded slowly. "Yeah, and now I have to find a way to tell Vincent," she muttered. "Any suggestions?"

"Yeah… how about you just _telling_? No fanfare, no special effects?" he asked, walking over to take a fruit salad from the refrigerator.

Yuffie eyed the fruit in mild interest, but decided not to approach in case her stomach told her that it wasn't in the mood for fruit either that morning. "What, did you get bitten by the sarcasm bug this morning?"

Cloud just smirked. "My apologies. I can see that the mood swings are already kicking in," he said. At her annoyed look, he sighed and shook his head. "It's just that when you're not in the mood to be bugged, I'm in the mood to bug someone. So… can I suggest you get going? Wasn't Vincent leaving this afternoon?"

Yuffie looked at the clock and nodded. "I guess I do have to go. He'll be gone in two hours. Will you tell Tifa that I'm going out?"

Cloud nodded and stopped her with a hand on her elbow. Yuffie gave him a questioning look and the blond reached up to squeeze her shoulders. "Take your happiness, Yuffie. Otherwise you'll end up with nothing."

_Like you? _Yuffie wanted to ask, but she wisely kept quiet. There was no use in dredging up past wounds and she really didn't want to make Cloud angry or sad. Hey, maybe she _had _grown up! She nodded and smiled instead, throwing her arms around Cloud and hugging him tightly. "I couldn't have asked for a better brother," she murmured.

Cloud smiled and hugged her back after a moment's pause. "I'm going to miss going on heists."

"You mean because of the kids?" Yuffie asked, drawing back. Cloud nodded. "Who says we have to stop?" she asked, grabbing her keys and flashing him a smirk.

Cloud just chuckled to himself and watched her go. Despite living under the same roof as Tifa and Zack, he realized that it didn't hurt to see them together anymore. It made him a little uncomfortable, but that was just him feeling a little squeamish about public affection, but otherwise it didn't bring the ache that had been there a few years back. Grabbing a fork and the plastic full of fruit, Cloud smirked to himself as he grabbed a couple of apples and bananas before making his way to the garage. He had a busy day, and since he wasn't too convinced about whether or not he would still have his career as a _thief_ with Yuffie and Tifa, he would continue his day job.

Just as he was getting into his car, Tifa walked into the garage with Lily in her arms. "Where are you off to?" she asked, walking over to stand in front of him as he sat in the driver's seat with the door to his car wide open.

Cloud smiled at the baby as she tried to get him to carry her. He let out a small, amused sigh and took her, bouncing her a little in his arms. "I don't get why she likes me so much. I'm nothing special," he said offhandedly.

Tifa was suddenly glaring at him, her eyes narrowed and filled with something… something that Cloud had a feeling would never fade between them, but that wasn't enough to cause problems between her and Zack. "You are a wonderful guy. Don't _ever_ sell yourself short," she said empathically.

He managed to flash her a confident smile and nodded. "You know that I was only joking," Cloud said, pushing Lily's nose playfully.

"Cloud… there's been something that I've been meaning to ask. I will understand if you say no, but… but it's something I want you to think about," said Tifa hesitantly.

"What is it?" he asked curiously, moving his blue gaze from the baby to Tifa.

She let out a long breath and tried to gather the courage to ask him. "Zack and I are getting married next month… I wanted to know if you… would you…"

"Just tell me," Cloud murmured gently.

Tifa nodded and met his stare. "Will you walk me down the isle, give me away?" she asked softly, hesitance clear in her voice.

Cloud turned to look at Lily as the girl turned in his arms to grip the steering wheel of his car. "What do you say, kiddo?" he asked her. Lily just babbled and Cloud snorted when he felt a glob of baby spit fall right onto his knuckles. "I guess that's a yes then," he said, turning to Tifa with an honest smile.

Tifa rushed towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck in a choking hug. At his wheezy breathing, she kissed his cheek loudly and let him go. "Sorry!" she said with a warm laugh. "I'm just so happy. You can't know what this means to me."

"I do," Cloud said with a nod. "And I'll be happy to do it."

Tifa kissed him again and took Lily back. "Say bye-bye to uncle Cloud," she said, waving the girl's chubby hand.

"Tifa," Cloud said as he started the car. "I have one condition."

Her eyes narrowed at his words. "What?"

"None of those ties that feel like they're made to choke _or _bowties," he muttered in disgust, ignoring her indignant look. "And no white for me, okay?" he asked with a smirk.

Tifa let out a relieved laugh and nodded; it really wasn't _too _much to ask. "Fine. I guess we can compromise. I'll let you know when you can go to your fitting for the suit, and just to show you how much I appreciate this, I'll let you pick your own tie."

Cloud chuckled and put on his safety belt before looking at her intensely for a moment. Tifa began to fidget and gave him a questioning look. "I was just thinking that you'll make a beautiful bride," he said quietly.

"Thank you," Tifa said, her eyes shining in gratitude for his words and his acceptance to walk her down the isle. "You'll find someone, Cloud. I _know _you will. It's only a matter of time before a girl comes along to sweep you off your feet."

Cloud nodded and watched her step back. _That girl already came along, Tifa. It was you. But I guess you mean someone else will come along again,_ he mused. He smiled at Tifa and her daughter and closed the door to his car before pulling out of the garage. Before he was gone though, he lowered the window and shouted at her. "Yuffie said she was going out. I kinda got the feeling that she's going to tell Vincent about you-know-what!"

Tifa watched him go with a sad little smile and turned to the baby. "Uncle Cloud is a special guy. I'm sure you'll love him even more once you get older," she said, walking with the baby back towards the main structure of their home. "Let's just hope aunt Yuffie does the right thing and doesn't follow in _my_ footsteps," she said to Lily.

Zack rounded the corner of the hallway and nearly collided with them. "There are my girls! I was looking all over for you two. What were you doing?" he asked, smooching Lily's face and making the baby giggle.

"We were talking to Cloud," Tifa said with a happy smile.

Zack pulled back and looked from her to Lily. "I didn't know you could talk! How come you don't talk to me, princess?" he asked her in mock hurt.

Lily just cooed at him until he took her into his arms. "I was asking him of what we talked about yesterday," said Tifa, rubbing a hand over his arm. At his raised eyebrows, she smiled. "He said yes, of course. I'm so happy, Zack," she said, standing on the tips of her toes to kiss his chin.

"Me too," he said, smiling cheerfully.

"So… we're really going to do this?" Tifa asked him lightly.

Zack nodded and wrapped her in his free arm as Tifa hugged both him and Lily. "Yeah, we'll be tying the noose… I mean the knot," he said with a snicker when Tifa pulled back and almost slugged him. "All that'll be missing is Vincent being there."

Tifa gave him a sly look. "Maybe Yuffie will be able to convince him to stay."

"Why? How? What do you know?" Zack asked eagerly.

"Gossip much?" Tifa asked, giving him a strange look. At his pout, she smiled. "Yuffie… Yuffie is pregnant."

"Wow," Zack said quietly. "Is it Vincent's?"

The resounding smack hurt as badly as it sounded in the echo of the living room as they walked into it. She ignored his glare as he rubbed the back of his head and crossed her arms over her chest. "How dare you even ask that?!"

"Well, Vince told me about Yuffie kissing on Yazoo. I asked to make sure," Zack nearly whined.

Tifa felt a little guilt invade her and reached up to rub Zack's head where her hand had impacted. "Sorry," she muttered. "But yes, Yuffie is pregnant… and it _is_ Vincent's. I can't be sure, but I think she's on her way to see him right now."

"It's too late," Zack said quietly.

Tifa's maroon gaze turned to him and she blinked in confusion. "Too late? Why?"

"Because his flight was moved up," said Zack softly. "He leaves in less than an hour."

……

Yuffie quickly got out of her car in front of Vincent's home and took in a lungful of air before letting it out slowly. The nausea was returning for all different reasons as she knocked the door and waited for someone to open. After a few, nerve-racking minutes, Elmyra finally opened the door and smiled at her. "Yuffie, it's been a while. I'm so happy to see you healthy and strong," she said.

Yuffie managed a smile and nodded. "Thank you. It's nice to see you too. I… I'm here to see Vincent," she said, fidgeting with her keys in her hands. She was trying to keep her act together, but it was proving easier said than done.

Elmyra gave her a sad look and shook her head, making Yuffie's stomach plummet to her feet. "His flight was moved up and you just missed him. He left ten minutes ago."

Yuffie nearly let out a sob, but thankfully shoved it down. There was no time for a breakdown. She was losing valuable time. "His flight will still be leaving from Edge Airport?"

Elmyra nodded. "Hurry, dear. I know that you can still catch him, but drive safely."

"Thank you," Yuffie said, hugging the woman quickly before running to get into her car. Her emotions were a mess, but there was adrenaline coursing through her at the thought of her getting there right in time, right before he took off and truly walked out of her life. She had to get there in time. She _had_ to. It wasn't just her life now that she needed to worry about. She was responsible for one other, and she owed her baby the chance to have Vincent in his or her life.

With one thought in mind, she began to drive off towards the airport. With some luck, it would rain, or there would be a blizzard to ground the flights. She prayed fervently to Leviathan and hoped that he would listen.

……

He couldn't believe that he had worked up the courage to truly leave Yuffie behind. Vincent grabbed his briefcase and began to make his way out of the airport. He had asked Zack and Sephiroth to stay behind and let him leave Midgar alone. If any of them had been present, Vincent suspected that he would be weak enough to allow himself to stay, and for the sake of keeping his promise of not hurting Yuffie anymore he couldn't. But he also realized that him leaving was also a selfish decision. He wanted to leave because he couldn't stand the idea of being around, of watching her start a new life with a new man.

He had rescheduled his flight for an earlier time because he had been feeling the urge to say goodbye to Yuffie when he knew that it would've been a bad idea. His jet was up ahead and each of his footsteps felt like he was being weighed down by blocks of cement as he slowly walked towards the plane. He was leaving behind everything, but all that he was truly mourning, was leaving behind Yuffie. He took the steps up towards the jet just as slowly, avoiding looking back at the city he had been born in. The city that had seen him grown to become a killer, then a business man, then a married man, then a changed man. A man changed by love and pain.

"Don't go," called a familiar voice as he reached the final step of his private jet.

Vincent froze at the sound of her voice, but he couldn't turn around. He couldn't turn around just to realize that he was hearing things, that the wind was mocking him and making him hear things that weren't there. He let out a long, heavy sigh and shook his head, sending his dark hair across his face.

"Vincent!" she said in a shrill voice, her volume making her voice carry even over the engines of the jet starting. "Don't you dare walk away from me!"

He stopped and turned quickly, his eyes scanning her from head to toe as she stood there, a hand on her hip, the short shorts, and a familiar glare on her face. Her eyes, how he loved her eyes, even when they were burning with anger and hurt. "What are you doing here?" he asked her in bewilderment.

The fire in her eyes seemed to rise. But abruptly, it fell, and she seemed to wilt a little before his eyes. "You were really going to leave without saying goodbye. Or were the divorce papers your way of saying it?" she asked him, the hurt in her voice nearly tangible.

Vincent let out a heavy sigh and walked down the steps to stand before Yuffie, close enough to fully take in her brown eyes and her smooth, pale skin. How would he live without her? "I didn't think you wanted to see me again."

"Because of what you saw back at my place between me and Yazoo?" she asked, shaking her head. "That was nothing. And yes, it was what you saw, but it didn't mean what you thought."

"How so?" he asked, unable to keep the note of derision in his voice.

Yuffie felt her heart twist a little in her chest as she noted the own hurt in his crimson gaze. A stray thought passed through her mind… would their baby have his eyes? Suddenly the main reason why she was there came roaring to the front of her mind. First she needed to clear things up regarding Yazoo. "He kissed me goodbye. Yazoo is moving to Kalm with his brothers. He's going somewhere that will help Loz's condition. He kissed me goodbye and I haven't seen him since that afternoon," she said in a quiet voice.

Vincent stared at her. Why was she telling him this? He finally shook his head and looked her in the eyes. "You need to move on without me. All I ever did was hurt you."

"We hurt each other equally," Yuffie countered. "Don't leave us."

There was no describing the way his heart seemed to soar without his permission. But he stubbornly shook his head and felt panic seize him when he saw her eyes go a little glassy. "Us?" he asked, his eyebrows forking slightly as her words registered in his mind.

"Don't leave us… _your family_, and your home," Yuffie stressed. She was kicking herself for not being truthful about what she had meant, but she felt that it wasn't time yet.

He was staring down at her, staring down at the pendant of the Shuriken he had given her long ago, resting over her stomach on an extra-long chain that she had put it in. His gaze moved to burn into hers, and it felt as if he had swallowed a ball of fire and it was burning his way down his throat as he choked out the words. "You're free to be happy, Yuffie. Just sign the papers and I will be out of your life."

"I don't want you out of my life!" she nearly screamed, storming up to him and shaking him by his coat lapels. "Can't you understand that there is _no_ happiness if you're gone?" Yuffie said angrily. "Despite all the things we did to each other, you managed to change. Do you think that I didn't? I actually grew up thanks to you. I'm not the same vindictive child I was when you meet me! You changed me too. How can you stand there and tell me that you're walking out of my life?"

Vincent reached up to rub away a stray tear that had slid down her cheek and looked away from her pretty face when her eyes slid closed at his touch. "It took me a long time to make this decision, and thought it may seem like the worst thing I can possibly do to you now, it isn't. Putting distance between us is best for now, Yuffie. You will find someone to love you and make you happy, and someone who will not hurt you with every action he makes, whether intentional or not. You're right, we both changed, but at what price? How many tears have you cried? How much unhappiness have I caused?" he asked, staring into her watery gaze as her eyes opened to glare right at him.

Yuffie stepped back with a hurt look on her face. "So that's it?" she asked, voice breaking. "You're just going to throw away more than two years of our lives and be gone?" It felt like she couldn't breathe; he was taking all of the blame for the negative things in their relationship. It wasn't right for him to do, she was just as guilty as he was, damn it!

Vincent swallowed hard. "If you… if you can say the words to me. The words that I want to hear from you, honestly and without hesitation, then I will stay."

Yuffie stared at him and realized that her pause went against what he was asking of her, but she wasn't pausing out of doubt. She was pausing to figure out if her words would truly make him stay. _Stop thinking and say it!_ She inwardly yelled at herself. But it was too late.

"That's what I thought," Vincent murmured. He let out a dejected sigh and turned slightly, giving her his profile. "Goodbye Yuffie. I wish you only the best," he said before he turned to go.

_No! I have to tell him about the baby!_ Her mind ranted at her. Yuffie did the only thing she could think of to stop him. She ran into his path and pulled him into a kiss. He stiffened in surprise, but his body reacted without his knowledge and permission as his hands slid up to hold her waist and press her against him. Yuffie tried to convey all that she was feeling into that kiss, her hands cupping his face gently. She searched his mouth, memorized his taste, tried to gather the courage she needed to just yell at him that they were having a baby and that she loved him beyond anything she could've ever imagined.

Forget the pain, the blackmail, the conniving plans, the hurtful words and everything else that she could think of that had been negative about their relationship. She couldn't breathe, but she was too afraid to let him go because the fear that he would leave anyway was ever present in her mind. Maybe it wouldn't be enough. Maybe _she _wasn't enough for him and he needed someone _better _in his life. The thought of Vincent moving on with someone othe than her brought a sickly, sour taste to her mouth. When she finally drew away, there was a pained look on his handsome, sharp face, but the look of determination was there as well. Yuffie waited, unable to breathe in or out, for his answer.

He closed his eyes, turned, and walked away. Up the steps.

Vincent didn't look back.

...

...

...

...

...

OMFG(Heh, I had a _Gossip Girl_ moment there). I know that I said one chapter was left, and I hope no one is getting bored because I'm drawing this out, but fortunately, the next chapter IS DONE! The ending is ready and all I have to do is post it. So be awesome readers and tell me if you liked this chapter. It's okay if you didn't and you think I'm just dragging this story a bit, but these were things in the original plan. Still, the original plan didn't have this story being over thirty chapters long, but anyway, I do hope you enjoyed and it's really not as bad as it seems.

I've got a plan and the ending will hopefully be a nice one for everybody. Always, thank you for all the positive feedback. It always makes me smile when I get a review, so you have my appreciation. It's been such a long, twisted, dramatic road, I'll miss you guys too once this baby is over. I hope everyone has a great week and I will have the last chapter out _very_ soon.

Joey

P.S. I saw the Wolverine movie the day it came out and seriously, I went in there just in love with Hugh Jackman and I walked out in love with the guy who plays Gambit, Taylor Kitsch. I always did have a soft spot for Gambit in the cartoons anyway. Up next is Johnny Depp and Christian Bale!(Okay, fan girl rant is over, sorry…:)


	33. Princess of Thieves

_Prepare for sappiness and fluff. I hope this last chapter wasn't too choppy or OOC, and that it made at least _some_ sense. Enjoy!_

_Warning: Adult situation, nothing explicit, but bypass if you're uncomfortable or not old enough. You've been warned!_

……………………………………

**Princess of Thieves**

……………………………………

Back at her home, in her room, the tears seemed to be on an endless streak. Her eyes burned, and she was feeling a little nauseous, but nothing mattered because of the emptiness she felt in her heart. She stared out of the window as she lay in her bed. Rain began to come down in torrents and the soft pattering against the window lulled her a little, making the tears slow down as she hugged the stuffed cat Vincent had won for her a long time ago, during their Gold Saucer trip.

Giving a last, hiccupy shudder, she closed her eyes and nearly set to tears again at the image of Vincent walking away from her that flashed through her mind. "Asshole," she muttered out loud. She couldn't believe what a coward she had been for not telling him about the baby. What a coward _he _had been for turning and walking away from her.

She had taken the risk to get her heartbroken, but Yuffie knew that it would've felt worse if she hadn't done anything to try to stop him from leaving. Now at least, she could think that he had at least gotten a measure of what she felt for him, even though she hadn't said the words he had wanted to hear from her. She was so caught up in cursing herself and him, that she didn't see the person approaching her quietly from behind. Yuffie felt the bed shift but didn't turn; she had been wondering when Tifa would come to her room to comfort her. "Stupid bastard, can't even tell when a girl loves him," she muttered under her breath.

"Maybe if you said the words once in a while the stupid bastard would believe you a little more," said a deep voice from behind her.

Yuffie recognized him instantly, whirling around and trying to mask the fright he had just given her by glaring at him. She was a ninja damn it! She wasn't supposed to get caught unawares, even when she had assumed that Tifa was the one who had approached her. Instead of jumping into his arms, she slapped him.

Vincent started at the pain that exploded on his face and glared right back at her, his eyes narrowed and filled with angry fire just for her. "What was that for?" he snapped.

Tears trailed from Yuffie's eyes as her glare fell. "You left! You walked away from me!"

"You kissed another man and then tried to play it off as nothing when I didn't see you push him away or look disgusted by it," Vincent countered.

Yuffie huffed out a breath and looked away from his burning gaze. She turned her back to him and took the position she had been in before he had snuck up on her.

"Would you… prefer if I left again?" he asked her softly, holding his breath and not daring to make any sudden movements, lest she decide that she didn't want him back after all.

"No…" she said after a long moment. "Don't go." Yuffie knew that if she pushed him away now, things between them would _never _be right. She was so tired of resentments and revenge. She was tired of hurting every time she realized that Vincent wasn't at her side. She just wanted to let herself be free and happy. Yuffie's eyes closed in sensation as his arms came around her and pulled her back into the warmth of his chest. "Why did you stay?" she asked softly, her breath shuddering out as his lips settled on the spot where her neck met her shoulder.

"I stopped the pilot just as he was driving down the airstrip," he admitted. "I tried to catch up to you, but you have always been faster than me. You're a one of a kind ninja," Vincent said quietly, nearly burying his face in her hair. He had missed holding her, feeling her wonderfully sweet scent surrounding his senses. How had he believed that he could live without her?

Yuffie had to smile at his words. Her smile quickly fell though. "You turned away from me and left," she said, voice catching in a sob.

Vincent's arms tightened around her and he turned her to face him. "And I'm sorry," he said, staring into her watery eyes. "I stayed for you," he said, answering her first question. "Because I couldn't bear the thought of not seeing you ever again. Despite our differences, I enjoyed the time we did live together as a real couple. I just… I didn't want to hurt you anymore and I convinced myself that walking away from you would be the best course of action. But when I did walk away from you, it felt like I was leaving my heart—everything I was—here with you. Besides, you couldn't even tell me that you loved me yourself. What was I supposed to think?"

"I didn't hesitate because I wasn't sure about what I felt for you. I hesitated because I was thinking about how our lives would change once I said the words to your face, without some catastrophe lurking to rip the words from my throat." Yuffie's hand came up to rub his still red cheek. "Sorry, I kinda got carried away," she murmured, leaning up to kiss the skin gently. She watched as his eyes closed with the contact, and before she could lose her nerve, she leaned forward to brush her lips against his.

He answered the press of her lips, but didn't take more from her. Vincent wanted things to be different this time, _if _she decided to give him a second chance. His fingers combed through her silky hair and his eyes opened as she pulled away, her eyes searching his intently. He knew what she was looking for. "I love you," whispered against her lips, drawing her into another gentle, chaste kiss.

She smiled a beautiful smile. A smile that set his heart beating fast in his chest as if it wanted to burst out and go straight to her hands. But she already held his heart in her hands. She had for a long time now, and Vincent couldn't think of anyone better to give his heart to unconditionally. Yuffie looked down at their hands as he took her right one and placed it over his chest, his heart. "It's all yours if you want to take it," he said lightly.

Her eyes were beginning to brim with tears again, but Vincent saw her push them down and away for another time. Yuffie nodded and pressed her lips over the spot their hands had recently been touching. "I love you too," she finally murmured without any hesitation. She settled into his arms and together they watched the rain coming down harder, hitting her window with louder pelts. Yuffie smiled to herself. It was Leviathan's blessing, she knew.

After a long moment of drowsing in his arms, she opened her eyes when she realized that there was one more thing that she needed to tell him. First, she had only one, simple question. "Where do we go from here?" Yuffie asked quietly.

"Wherever you wish to go," Vincent said in a calm tone. "But I expect you to live with me again."

"How about… we spend some time in the Chocobo Ranch after Zack and Tifa's wedding?" she asked.

Vincent mulled it over for a few minutes and then nodded. "That sounds like a good plan. We must also call Angeal to let him know that the divorce is off."

Yuffie smiled to herself and nodded, feeling as if her heart was beginning to beat in her chest once more. When she had watched him walk away, a part of her had died in her chest. Now she felt alive again. "Vincent—" she was interrupted by his lips. And really, it was a good distraction but she had wanted to tell him about the baby. "Vincent… I…" she tried to get in between his kisses.

"I've missed you," he whispered against her lips, holding her close.

Yuffie let the tension ease from her body and hugged him back just as tightly, sinking her hands into the long mane of his hair. Though with longer hair he looked a tad more delicate, he still managed to pull off a handsome look. No one would ever truly mistake him for a woman. Especially with his height and build. Her own hands began to roam slowly, reacquainting herself with him once more. The news on the baby could wait for a little bit. Right in that moment all she wanted was to feel loved. "Who wouldn't miss me?" she asked cheekily, winking at him before drawing him down for a soul searching kiss.

Vincent just let out a relieved sigh and kissed her right back. Yuffie just hoped that no morning sickness kicked in while she and Vincent were getting down to business. It would very much ruin the moment and she was enjoying the feel of Vincent's skilled fingers on her body too much to stop now. Sighing breathily to herself, Yuffie closed her eyes and allowed Vincent to consume her, and she knew in that moment that she would finally be able to give him back all that he was offering. She wasn't afraid anymore because he would be there, in her life, for as long as she wanted him. In other words… for the rest of her days.

………

The wedding would be held in the massive backyard of their home. Contrary to their first marriage, this one would be a smaller event. There was a gazebo filled with white orchids and red roses where Tifa and Zack would marry, and their few guests would fill white chairs with red ribbons sitting on the green grass. The path up towards the gazebo was strewn with red rose petals, and from afar, it looked like a red carpet. Off towards the sides, were the tables for the dinner and after party, covered in white table cloths, silverware, and arrangements of white lilies.

Yuffie approached Tifa as she stood by the window, looking over the final details that Aerith had offered to help with. Though they were far away from being close friends, at least they were on speaking terms and Tifa knew that with time a friendship _would_ be able to develop between them. From the second floor, everything looked beautiful, but Tifa knew it would look better once she was standing there herself.

"The guests are here," Tifa murmured, watching as the few close friends and close acquaintances trickled and were seated in their places. "The judge is here too," she said excitedly.

Yuffie grinned and approached the window to see what had Tifa so joyful. It was nice to see the person she loved the most in this world so happy. Her eyes were shining in her pale, beautiful face, and the dress she had on flattered her figure, highlighting her once more tiny waist. As if on cue, following Tifa's words, there was a knock at the door and Cloud stepped in, wearing a black suit with a vest the color of his eyes, and a gray tie was _not _a bowtie. "Ready?" he asked, smiling lightly.

"Wow, who's the handsome blond in the tux and does he have a girlfriend?" Yuffie asked, giving him a wolf-whistle that made him blush a little.

Tifa just giggled at his embarrassed expression and took his arm when he offered it. She smoothed her free hand over her dress and looked down at herself. She was in an off-white gown, with a heart shaped bust, sleeveless, and it hugged her waist and hips before flaring out from her knees and down. Her hair was in thick, voluminous waves and she was wearing a diamond chocker that had belonged to her mother and her grandmother before her. A pair of teardrop earrings that she had borrowed from Yuffie—because they had belonged to her aunt—completed her look.

They made their descent towards the backyard when Aerith called for them and told them that the guests were all present. As they stepped into the backyard of the large Kisaragi mansion, slow, classical music began to play and Yuffie took her position at the front, behind Jessie and Aerith, who would be bridesmaids. Yuffie clutched the bouquet of white lilies in her hands and started when Vincent showed up at her side and slipped her arm through his. "You look beautiful," he murmured.

Yuffie managed a nervous smile at his words. The guests stood and turned to look at them. They began to walk slowly through the trail of red roses, after Jessie and Angeal, and Sephiroth and Aerith. Zack was standing at the front of the path, looking just as handsome as Vincent and Cloud, and his eyes were all for Tifa as he spotted her when the women separated from the men. Vincent went to stand at Zack's side and he flashed Yuffie a concealed wink as she smiled and turned to look at Tifa.

She was beautiful, all smiles and a glowing, happy face. Cloud was staring at Zack, but he was smirking slightly as they walked. As they reached the front, he handed her over to Zack and they had a moment of challenging each other with stares before Tifa cleared her throat and leaned over to kiss Cloud's cheek. "Thank you," she murmured, her eyes shining a little too brightly.

Cloud touched her cheek briefly and nodded before looking at Zack again. "I don't have to tell you that I want her to be happy."

Zack felt a level of respect for a man who had known when to walk away. He nodded and held his hand out to Cloud. The blond shook it without hesitation before walking away and taking a seat with the rest of the guests. Zack turned back to Tifa and smiled at her, pulling her hand towards his lips as he led her a little higher and towards the man ordained to marry them. And so the ceremony began.

Yuffie really tried not to tune out the speech, but her mind was wandering, particularly towards her husband. The love of her life. The father of her child. A child he still knew nothing about. Her eyes met his again and she smiled softly at him, giving him a look from under lowered lashes. "I love you," she mouthed.

Vincent looked pleased and exceptionally happy to see the words coming from her mouth. He would never truly tire of hearing them, mostly because he had never imagined feeling it after Lucrecia had come into his life. The fact that another woman had captured his heart was something to celebrate.

His scarlet gaze swept over the curve of Yuffie's cheekbones, to the elegant sweep of her soft lips, and down the smooth, pale skin of her neck. Her eyes were shining in her beautiful face, and there was something different about her that he couldn't quite point out. Looking at her always managed to take his breath away, and it was mostly because he couldn't believe he had found someone that he could love with so much passion and with every inch of the heart he had thought dead to emotion. She had been the healing balm to his burnt—more like charred—soul, and he couldn't imagine himself without her now.

They both turned quickly and just in time to catch Zack sweeping Tifa into a kiss that was only a tad too intimate before the guests broke into applause. Vincent and Yuffie had been so engrossed in each other that they had even missed the rings and the vows. Yuffie hoped fervently that Aerith had thought of getting someone to record the ceremony for later viewing. Then there was a flurry of hugs and congratulations as petals of roses were strewn over everyone.

Vincent allowed Yuffie to hug both Zack and Tifa before he swept her away from the crowd and towards the safety of the surrounding cherry blossom trees—her mother's favorites, and something Godo had _never_ forgotten—to press a searching kiss to her lips. Yuffie smiled against him and wrapped the hand holding the bouquet around his neck. She started when she felt his hands smoothing down the backs of her thighs and she broke away from his kiss. "Not here! Someone can see us," Yuffie panted, her eyes a little glazed from the passionate kiss.

"Everyone is focused on the new couple," Vincent whispered, his mouth dragging down her shoulder and towards the thin strap of her dress.

"Well… at least take us deeper towards the trees that give off a darker shade," she muttered, her hands already on the belt and button of his pants.

Vincent literally picked her up and carried her towards the shade, his eyes scanning to make sure that there were no security cameras or people around to catch them in an intimate moment. Once safely in a darker portion of the yard, he kissed Yuffie again, his teeth dragging over her bottom lip and making a delicious shiver race down Yuffie's spine. He pressed her onto a thick tree and began to inch her gown up, his mouth still plundering hers relentlessly. His pants came free and he shoved them down, his eyes only half-open as he moved lacey fabric out of the way to seek what he had needed desperately from the moment he had seen her in the simple, _red_ dress. Vincent wondered why that particular color on Yuffie just did it for him.

Yuffie gasped into his mouth and her hands dug into his shoulders, rumpling his professionally pressed shirt as he surged forward with a choked grunt. He laid his forehead against hers for a moment and stared into Yuffie's dark eyes, almost the color of melted dark chocolate. Her own eyes took the moment to lazily peruse his face as he pulled out slowly and sunk back in with a relieved sigh.

He was a beautiful man… there's was really no other way to describe him. His long hair really did add to his allure. His slightly slanted, ruby colored eyes—the Wutain blood in him, Yuffie thought proudly—were the first thing about him that called for attention, followed closely by the long, raven colored eyelashes surrounding said eyes. His nose was straight and perfect, with an angular chin and a smooth, handsome face. And she couldn't forget his hair, the mane of soft, slightly disheveled sable; one of her favorite things to do was to wake up in the middle of the night to run her fingers through his hair while slept.

She had seen the attraction between them from the beginning and had chosen to ignore it for an immature game of power and of who had the most twisted, cunning intellect. She wondered briefly if they were on equal grounds there. Despite the drawn out mind games, neither she nor Vincent had truly won. She would call it a draw.

Yuffie smirked to herself and noticed his eyes flutter closed in sensation. Her body was quickly losing control against his and for a brief moment she worried if it was healthy for the baby. Her eyes snapped open lucidly, focusing sharply on Vincent's as his narrowed in concentration and he began to impale her in earnest. Yuffie choked back a loud moan against his neck and clutched at him for dear life.

She had been about to blurt out the fact that he needed to be careful for their baby, but he wasn't truly hurting her, nor was he being rough. He had one of her legs wrapped around his hip, holding it there with fingers digging into her thigh, while the other was settled on her behind, arching her into him at a perfect angle for her to feel every single movement of his hips.

"There will never be anyone but you," he whispered against her ear, letting go of her and bracing himself against the tree trunk as his body began to shudder.

At his words, Yuffie felt her entire world shift as her body exploded in pleasure and sensation, drawing Vincent over the precipice even before she had finished shuddering and tightening around him. They stood there holding each other for long, silent seconds, bodies shaking in the aftermath of mind-boggling release. Would it always be that way? Yuffie wondered vaguely. Her chin was resting against his shoulder, her arms around him as Vincent's face pressed to her neck, his breathing slowing. Her knees felt wobbly and Yuffie knew that if Vincent let go of her in that moment, she would fall right onto the ground.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered into his ear, even before she had a chance to really pay attention to what she was saying. Her eyes widened and she bit her lip painfully for being so… _blasé_ about it. "Shit," she murmured, hiding her face against his shirt, forgetting her make-up and the fact that he was wearing a white shirt. Tifa had opted to leave off the blue vest for him, so he and Angeal had worn gray ones instead because the blue had clashed horribly with Vincent's garnet colored eyes. She felt Vincent stiffen slightly at her words, but he didn't draw back and for a moment, Yuffie just listened to him breathe.

Vincent was reeling as he held onto Yuffie tightly and tried to work through what he had just heard her say quietly. She was quiet against him, waiting as if she were holding her breath for his reaction. He didn't know what to feel, but none of his emotions were negative. A child. His and Yuffie's. He pressed a kiss to her temple before sliding his lips over hers. When he drew back, he cupped her cheek and smoothed his thumb over it, still aware that she was waiting for him to say something. "Is it something you want?" he asked her gently.

Yuffie felt her lips twitch and nodded, slipping her fingers over his against her face. "I was… I couldn't find a way to tell you. I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Don't apologize," Vincent said seriously, drawing her into his arms to hug her tightly. "You're… pregnant," he said, trying out the word with a small, amazed smile on his face.

"I thought that you would be angry with me once I told you. You know… for taking so long to tell you," Yuffie said, checking herself to make sure that she was presentable. Tifa was probably freaking out right about now because she and Vincent had disappeared. Yuffie knew that she'd need to make a quick stop by her room before getting back to the party.

Vincent smoothed a warm, large hand over her still flat abdomen. It did stir something in him, and despite saying that he wasn't angry with her _that_ part of him that had allowed him to be an efficient Turk was. It was a good thing then, that he had changed a great deal, and that the good side of him—the one Yuffie had helped make—was thinking about all the possibilities for the future instead. "How far…"

"About two and a half. The afternoon at the hospital," she replied with a little smile.

He remembered that afternoon quite clearly. The hesitant touches, feeling that if he touched her too roughly, she would suddenly break, especially after all that she had recently gone through. He didn't know what to feel just yet. He felt elation, but it was a sort of serene kind of happiness. He would be a father in six and a half months. And this time he hadn't planned for it. He paused with her once they were standing under the cherry blossom trees once more. "Are you happy?" he asked abruptly.

Yuffie stared down at their entwined hands and nodded. "Yes," she said without hesitation.

"Good," Vincent murmured, leaning in for another kiss. There was the sound of a camera shutter going off, and they turned to find the wedding photographer catching their intimate moment. At the look on Vincent's face, the man quickly scampered off and left them alone.

Yuffie laughed at the expression on Vincent's face and then shook her head, feeling a great weight lift off of her shoulders. "Go back to the party, okay? I need to use the restroom," she said, beginning to draw away from him.

"Would you like for me to accompany you?" Vincent asked with a frown, reluctantly releasing her hands. Yuffie shook her head and winked before she walked off towards the house. Vincent stood watching her for a long moment before dragging a hand through his hair and checking his clothing, making sure that nothing was out of place before he walked back towards the wedding party. There was a smile on his face, and a warm feeling in his heart.

…

"Is it just me or does Vince look like he just got laid?" Zack asked Tifa as they made their way towards their table after greeting their guests and then having the chairs set up at the tables for the dinner.

Tifa made a face. "I so didn't need that information before eating," she muttered.

Zack just smiled and kissed her cheek. "I'll go check on Lily and Rose while we wait for the food. Sound good?" he asked.

Tifa nodded and watched him walk towards the house in quick strides. She frowned when she saw Yuffie walk out, a smile on her face. She suspected that Zack had been right and Yuffie and Vincent had being doing inappropriate things when they had disappeared. She wrinkled her nose a little, but could feel Yuffie's happiness literally emanating from her. "Should I even ask?"

Yuffie smirked, her eyes glittering wickedly. "No. But I did tell Vincent about the baby."

Tifa gasped. "And how did he take it?"

"So much better than I had originally thought," said Yuffie as they walked towards their table and took a seat. "Hey… has Zack seen Sephiroth carrying Rose?" she asked as she spotted the silver haired man sitting with Aerith, chatting quietly.

Tifa shook her head. "I guess not. He thought that the sitter was still watching both Lily and Rose. Come on, I love my shoes but they are already killing me," she said, taking Yuffie's hand and taking her to sit down. Suddenly, Tifa gasped. "Is that Jessie over there chatting Cloud up?"

Yuffie looked over and snickered. "I think it's more like a one sided conversation. I doubt Cloud is saying anything in return."

Tifa smiled. "I hope he does find someone to share his life with. He's even smiling," she nearly gushed. Cloud turned to look at them and blushed when Tifa gave him a thumbs-up and Yuffie winked at him.

"So…" Yuffie started casually. "When is the next baby on the way?"

Tifa's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "In a couple of years!" she exclaimed. At Yuffie's smirk, Tifa glared. "Just you wait and see when the baby comes. You'll wish he or she would sleep for an entire night. Add to that midnight feedings, diaper changes, when the baby decides to throw up on you, bathing, shots, colic…"

"Please Tifa, don't hold _anything _back," Yuffie said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Tifa smiled and hugged her around the shoulders. "I just want you to be prepared."

"If I got through Genesis' torture—whether by his hand or not—I can get through anything Tifa," Yuffie replied somberly.

Tifa's gaze softened as she caught a glimpse of that shadow that had slowly been receding from Yuffie's gaze since Genesis' imprisonment. "Vincent helped, didn't he?"

"Helped me heal?" Yuffie questioned. Tifa nodded. "Yes. Having him in my life has been both bittersweet and the most awesome thing to ever happen to me," she said, a smile slipping over her features and filling her eyes with contentment. The smile wilted a little at the thought of Genesis—and by default Loz—she had tried her best to return to her carefree self, but Yuffie had a feeling that it wouldn't happen, no matter how hard she tried. She was a different person now, someone different from the immature girl who had wanted revenge against anyone who hurt her. "If dad could see me now," she said quietly, her eyes suspiciously glassy.

Tifa also had to blink back tears as she nodded. "He would be proud."

"Hey… it's your wedding day. Let's not make this a sad affair," Yuffie said, wiping at her own eyes just as Zack walked over to them, Lily in his arms. The little girl was wearing a puffy red dress of her own and a crown of lilies on her little head. She was the perfect picture of adorable.

Dinner was served shortly and Yuffie was just happy that she was holding more foods down. It was the one thing that irked her about being pregnant: not being able to eat her favorite foods because of the morning sickness. After the tables had been cleared and the guests were enjoying their wine before the dessert, their attention was called towards them as a slow song began to play. Zack moved Tifa towards the gazebo, which had been cleared of anything that would interfere with their moment and he slipped an arm around her small waist. She moved into his arms with a smile and hugged him tightly to her. "I never thought this day would come," Tifa said quietly, moving slowly to the romantic beat.

Zack pressed a kiss to the top of her head and nodded. "Same here. I'm looking forward to seeing what the future has in store for us and Lily. I'm just happy that the pain is behind us."

Tifa tensed a little in his arms, but did not push away from him. "I trust you with my life, Zack, just promise me that you will never again get drunk to the point of incoherence," she murmured against his ear.

Zack nodded quickly. "I promise. I'm just… so sorry that I hurt you the way I did. All I ever wanted was to love you, and make you happy, but I had to go and screw it all up. We could've been together for a long time now," he said, brushing his lips over her bare shoulder.

Tifa smiled and slipped her arms around his neck and her fingers through his thick spikes. She couldn't wait for their honeymoon and the beginning of their lives as a married couple. "You can't regret having Rose in your life," she said, smiling at Aerith as she other woman leaned against Sephiroth.

"I don't. I just regret the way things happened," he said, eyes sad. "I'm just glad Aerith moved on and found someone to share her life with. I'm still iffy about Sephiroth being my kid's step dad, but I guess it would've happened sooner or later," he muttered.

"I think he'll manage to be a good stepfather, but he won't ever replace you as Rose's father," Tifa assured Zack. She began to giggle.

"What?"

"I can't believe you said 'iffy.' That's such a girly word coming from such a manly man," Tifa teased, smothering her laughter when Zack dipped her back dramatically.

He smiled, azure eyes shining in his handsome face as he brought her back up. "Thank you, for having faith in me. I just hope you continue to believe in me until we're old and with a house full of grandkids and great-grandkids," he said with a laugh, twirling her in his arms and watching her hair and dress sway around her.

Tifa moved back into his arms and smiled. "I love you, Zack."

"I love you too, Mrs. Fair," he said. "We'll be okay. If we're together, we'll be okay."

Tifa nodded and knew that she believed him with all her heart. She had her daughter, the man she loved with all her heart, and Yuffie was happy. She didn't need anything else to be happy. "Teef?" Zack asked.

"Yes?"

"How about we cut that cake?" Zack asked, rubbing his stomach. More laughter came from her lips and she nodded. Seeing her happy made his heart complete, Zack mused. There wasn't anything he wouldn't have done to see her happy, to see that smile back on her face. Tifa was at her most beautiful when she was smiling and he would do all that was in his power to keep that smile on her face. He was just glad that they had their whole lives ahead of them.

………

Yuffie stared in awe at the tiny features of the little creature sleeping soundly at her side. She had taken advantage of his nap and had taken one of her own. He was still sleeping and she was taking the opportunity to watch him. He was the perfect mix of her and Vincent. His hair was the darkest raven color she had ever set eyes on, even darker than her own and Vincent's. It reminded her of Godo's hair when he had been younger. Yuffie smiled fondly at the memory of her father. At least the grandson that he had never had a chance to meet would carry his name. They had named their son in a most peculiar way. Vincent Godo Kisaragi Valentine. Of course the boy wouldn't go by all of those names, but his birth certificate included them.

"I bet you'll wonder what we were high on when we named you what we did," she said quietly, kissing a tiny, bunched fist. She watched in amazement as the baby began to stretch and wake from his nap. Bleary, dark maroon eyes—a shade more similar to Tifa's than Vincent's—opened slowly. She would never grow tired of just watching him. He was perfect—of course, Tifa said that _all _mother's thought the same thing of their own babies—but Yuffie guessed that it was because he looked more like Vincent than herself.

"He looks like you. That's why he's so amazing," Vincent's deep voice interrupted her thoughts from the doorway.

From her position on the bed, she craned her head to look at him. "You're just saying that so that I don't go right to sleep tonight," she said, wriggling her eyebrows.

Vincent just smirked and walked over to take a seat on the other side of their cooing son. The baby began to kick his feet as he saw Vincent, and Yuffie had to smile at the way Vincent's eyes softened. He carefully picked up the four-month-old and held him in the crook of his arm, staring as a tiny hand squeezed his finger. "Did I hear correctly that you and Tifa are going to dinner this evening?" he asked Yuffie.

"Yeah," Yuffie muttered. "Since when do you eavesdrop on private conversations?" she asked him smartly.

"Since you speak loud enough for your voice to carry through to the next room," he replied with a shake of his head.

Yuffie just maneuvered so that she was sitting at his side on the bed, close enough to kiss him gently. "It'll be a 'girls night out' thing," she said, moving to brush her lips against the corner of his mouth, his nose, his cheekbone, and finally his jaw. "You don't mind, do you?" Yuffie looked up at his eyes when she realized that he had remained silent; he was giving her a calculating look. "Vince… have you heard about any_ recent_ robberies? I haven't had time with Vinnie around," she said, pointing at the infant in Vincent's arms.

Vincent let out an annoyed sigh at hearing the nickname that Yuffie had given their son. She had argued that he was too young to be referred to by his full name. She had a point, but he didn't like 'Vinnie' for some reason. "I truly hope that you will be going to dinner _only_ tonight," he said.

"Hey… how come you aren't assuming that I'm seeing another guy?" Yuffie asked indignantly. The nerve of the man to automatically assume that she was off stealing something!

Vincent stood with their once more snoozing baby in his arms and settled him down in the crib in the adjacent nursery. He walked back in and in quick strides was above her over their bed. "Care to repeat what you just said to me?" he asked in a thick voice.

Yuffie smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Well, if you're going to automatically assume that I'm off doing something inappropriate, why not assume that I'm off with another man?" she asked smugly, mesmerized by the dark crimson of his eyes burning into her. Would she ever tire of his eyes? Not likely. It was a good thing that Vinnie had his eyes too.

Instead of kissing her senseless, Vincent pulled her up towards the headboard, settling them down amongst various pillows—too many in his opinion—and then wrapping his arms around Yuffie's petite body. "I was just kidding," she muttered, tracing patterns on his chest with the tip of her finger. "You know that there's never been anyone but you. Of course, I'm not counting the guys I dated before you. You'd be surprised of the characters I—"

Vincent silenced her with a kiss and Yuffie snickered against his lips. "I do not wish to hear about the past men in your life."

"They were all boys. None of them were men, until… you came along," she whispered, her fingers combing through his silky, dark hair. "The happy moments you've given me are more than the unhappy ones now. I'm glad you walked into my life when you did."

Vincent watched her carefully, brushing her hair away from her eyes gently. Motherhood had settled well with Yuffie. She was even more beautiful than before, but aside from that, something had changed in her. Though she was still the cheerful, smart-talker, there was a softness to her that only came from giving birth to a child. She had her moments of hysteria when their son cried and she couldn't figure out why, but she was handling being a mother quite well. He was proud of the woman she had become. "Do you know… that despite our first clash, I first admired and was attracted to you for your skills at thievery?"

Yuffie let out a laugh. "Really? So it wasn't my feminine wiles?"

He let out a deep chuckle and shook his head. "That too," he said, tone a little mocking. "It was your thievery skills that managed to take something more valuable to me than that painting."

Yuffie's curiosity made her sit up to be able to look at him properly. "And what was that?" she asked him eagerly.

"This," he murmured, pointing to his heart. "Even before I knew it myself. You had already taken it for yourself, and I suspect that this is something that you can't easily return," Vincent said with a light smirk.

Yuffie smiled and leaned forward to brush her lips against his briefly, before sitting back and entwining her fingers with his. They had started their new lives in a new home. After discussing with Tifa for a long time, on what to do with the house that had been Godo's, they had both come to the conclusion that it was best to leave it behind. Neither had had the heart to sell the home, but they didn't live there anymore. Zack and Tifa had moved to home a few blocks away, in the outskirts of the city as well, and Vincent had sold his own home to buy Yuffie and their son a new place to start over. Cloud had moved into his own apartment in the city, and he and Jessie would soon move in together while they set a date for their marriage. Everyone had started a new life, and Yuffie liked to think that they were all happy.

"I think… that the first moment I realized I was in love with you was while I was still trying to hate you. It was impossible," Yuffie said with a snicker, settling back into Vincent's arms. "But I'm glad I didn't manage to hate you, or that you didn't believe me capable of moving on to another man so quickly."

Vincent's fingers moved in long sweeps over her arm, sending little shivers to the tips of her fingers. "Are you happy?" he asked her, almost in a whisper. She had told him so before, but always in the afterglow of making love. He hadn't asked her under different circumstances.

Yuffie nodded. "Yes. I think though… that if you had really left, never to return, I wouldn't have come back from that dark place I had been in after Genesis took me captive. I _woke up_, long enough to try to get you to stay, but when I realized that you wouldn't, when you walked away, I felt as if I would never be the same. But… you came back, and you healed me," she said quietly.

Her time in Genesis' hands was something they hadn't talked about at all. Vincent hadn't wanted to pry, or to make her remember something that could potentially hurt her more emotionally, so he had kept his questions to himself. It was a positive step that she was taking, talking about it on her own.

"You healed me and I love you even more for it," Yuffie said gently, reveling in the steady beat of his heart under her ear. "How can I not be happy?"

Vincent smiled to himself and thanked whatever deity was watching over them and who had gifted him with a good life after all that he had done, what he had been. "You truly _are_ a princess of thieves," he said with a chuckle, pushing her onto her back to kiss her. "I don't think I want you to give me my heart back."

Yuffie felt her heartbeat quicken at his words and she smiled. She had stolen Vincent Valentine's heart, and that had been her biggest challenge as well as her biggest victory. She would look forward to a future with Vincent and their son. Her life had been a long, hard, winding road, but she had grown up to become a better person thanks to Vincent. There was just one thing she had to give up to truly move on. The question was… would she be able to do it?

……

"How is Lily doing?" Yuffie asked casually.

"She's great. Zack is teaching her how to paint, but he does it in the backyard because you can imagine the mess," said Tifa with a smile. "What about your little bundle of joy?"

"Oh, he's a little monster. He's always hungry and he hasn't gotten over the habit of sucking his thumb, which is something Godo would tell me that I did a lot when I was a baby too."

Tifa made a humming sound and nodded. She turned abruptly at the sound of a phone going off. "I think you have a phone call."

"I'll bet you it's Vincent," Yuffie muttered, pressing a button on the earpiece nestled in her ear. "The love of your life speaking, how can I help you?" she asked, aware that Tifa was also listening.

"Yuffie… what restaurant did you say you were going to be in with Tifa?"

A flash of dread raced down her spine and she let out a nervous laugh. "Why?"

"Because Aerith is on the other line and she would like to have dinner with you and Tifa. Should I tell her the name of the restaurant?"

"No, no. Tell her that I'll call her myself," Yuffie said quickly.

Vincent paused and Yuffie could picture him frowning, a suspicious glare in his eyes. Damn Vincent for being just as smart as her! "Yuffie… I know I cannot stop you from getting into trouble, but… I want you to be careful. If not for me, then for our son," he said softly in his deep baritone.

Yuffie had to smile, her heart skipping a beat. Was it really possible to love someone so much? The answer was simple. Yes. "I love you. I'll stay out of the trouble for both you and Vinnie."

"I'll hold you to that," Vincent replied. "Come home soon, Yuffie. I… love you too."

"I won't take long," she assured him before the line went dead. "You still there?"

"Yes," Tifa's voice came through clearly in her earpiece.

"Do we have a go?"

"Affirmative, White Rabbit. We have a go," Tifa replied with a smile, hovering in the air, inside Cloud's borrowed helicopter. "I have a feeling that the best course of action is to retire."

Yuffie adjusted her grip on the rope as she hung vertically, head over feet. "Is that okay with you?"

Tifa nodded to herself, her eyes on the scanners. "It's fine with me. I'll miss the adventures, but we have others to think about now," she said wistfully.

"Our last job. Cloud is so missing out on our last heist," Yuffie said, looking at the mini-computer strapped to her wrist.

"Cloud has been fawning over Jessie," Tifa said with a laugh. "And he's happy staying out of the trouble that always follows us around. I can't believe that they're engaged."

Yuffie sighed. "I guess we all have to grow up sometime. Teef… it was a pleasure working with you all of these years."

Tifa felt relief flood her. Though she had enjoyed being intellectually challenged with the various security systems they had encountered, it was best that they stop before they were caught. She didn't want to even risk having Lily grow up without a mother. Now Yuffie had the same thing to consider with little Vincent. Tifa felt a grin tugging at her lips. Might as well make this the best heist if it would be their last. "Same here, Black Rabbit. Security systems will be down in thirty seconds."

Yuffie nodded, feeling the blood rush to her head a little more. She had practiced long and hard to be the thief that she was, but it was time to say goodbye. She would do it for both her Vincents, she thought with a grin. "Let's get business done and go home," she said. With that, she loosened her grip and dropped down the ventilation shaft towards her final prize.

**The End**

...

...

...

...

...

How was that for an ending? End the story the way it began. I hope this was good for everyone and that it wasn't too abrupt for an ending. I left a lot of things out that I did want to include, i.e. an ending for Sephiroth and Aerith, but they weren't really a big couple in this fic, so I left their future open to interpretation for everyone, otherwise, you would've gotten two or three more chapters and I wanted this story to end now, before it got too tedious. Now, I want to move on to thank everyone who made this story a success, and who invested time and words of encouragement too. Each and everyone one of you have my gratitude. I wish I could thank you all individually, but if you ever reviewed, even if it was only once, you have my thanks.

It really is sad to see this story end, but I promise to get to writing soon. I have a few projects I want to work on, but I have started outlining my next AU, which as I mentioned in the chapter before, will be a CloudTifa. It should be a different take on their characters, where Zack _won't _be the rival for Tifa's heart. It's all a surprise for now, but I promise to get to work on it as soon as I can. I have to see if the plot will go anywhere before I post it, but meanwhile, I will work on _"Knight in Shining Armor," _and _"Believe." _So expect updates for those soon. I must go for now—I have a cold and I can't feel my friggin' nose—but I hope everyone has a wonderful day, week, and year! Forgive any and all errors because I will go back to fix them. Thank you once more for sticking with me this long!

Joey


End file.
